Wingman
by notthisoneagain
Summary: AU. His task was simple: distract the redhead's friend. Her quiet, intimidating, incredibly attractive friend. Talk to her; tell her a joke. It wouldn't really matter - the girls were way out of their leagues, anyway. BBRae
1. Chapter 1

**I don't own the Teen Titans.**

* * *

Garfield couldn't help but groan as he stared across the crowded establishment, his green eyes darting between the two girls sat at the bar. His friend Dick had his eye on the pretty redhead, and had been working up the courage to approach her for the last hour.

Which meant that Garfield would be stepping in as his buddy's wingman; distracting the girl's friend.

She was kind of hot, in a creepy, alternative way. Not his usual type by any definition, but she definitely looked good in the little black dress she was wearing. Her black hair was much shorter than the redhead's, barely passing her shoulders. He had only caught a few glimpses of her face, but from what he could tell, she certainly had her looks going for her.

Dick was standing beside him, muttering words of encouragement under his breath. Despite the fact that his friend was a pretty handsome dude, Dick Grayson was pretty pathetic when it came to wooing pretty girls.

Garfield, himself, wasn't much better - but tonight he didn't have the added pressure of wanting to succeed. The friend was cute, that was for sure. But, knowing she would undoubtedly turn him down the second he approached her, he wasn't nearly as nervous as Dick.

"I'll just offer to buy her a drink," his friend mused, nodding to himself as he smoothed out the wrinkles on his shirt.

"Creative," Garfield remarked, taking the time to pat down his own disheveled t-shirt. Just because he _knew_ he was gonna get rejected, didn't mean he couldn't at least look decent. He was, however, regretting his attire. Dick was still in his work clothes, which consisted of a maroon dress shirt and black slacks. Garfield, on the other hand, had had the evening off, and spent most of the day lazing around in a faded black band tee. He at least had the foresight to change out of his sweats and into a nice pair of jeans.

But if he had known that Dick's conquest was gonna have an equally attractive counterpart, he probably would have worn something a little nicer. And a little less pizza-stained. Though, it did kind of blend into the band's graphic.

"Okay, I've got this," Dick continued, before giving Garfield a sideways glance. "You got this?"

Garfield winked cheekily, running his fingers through his choppy blond hair. "Nope!"

His dark haired friend sighed, his exasperation obvious. "Just don't piss the girl off, okay? Have a nice conversation or something." He began walking towards the pair, his slip-proof loafers clapping against the linoleum flooring. "Hey, maybe she'll actually like you."

Garfield rolled his eyes at that, before following after Dick. They had attempted the whole wingman thing several times, but it had yet to play out. Garfield was currently in the midst of his longest dry-spell yet, and Dick didn't fair much better. It seemed girls in their mid-twenties weren't interested in one-night-stands with chain-restaurant waiters.

But hey, maybe they'd both get lucky for once.

As they neared the two women, Garfield's eyes quickly scoped out the redhead. She was unbelievably pretty, with a nice tan and waist-length hair. Her outfit was rather revealing, being just a short, ruffled, pale pink romper that highlighted her cleavage. She was swiveling back and forth on the bar stool, her bright green eyes surveying the room as she idly sipped on the fruity drink in her hands. Garfield watched as her gaze met Dick's, causing his buddy to nearly trip over himself. Biting back a laugh, Garfield turned his attention towards the friend.

Up close, he discovered that he had been wrong about his initial take on the girl. She wasn't _kind of_ hot - she was _smoking_. Like the redhead, she was also sitting on one of the rickety old bar stools, though hers remained still. The straw of her neon green drink was resting against her lips as she held it absently, her gaze focused on the phone in her other hand.

Her outfit was a little more modest, despite the way the short hem emphasized the fact that she had legs for _days_. The dress was incredibly form-fitting, though its high-neckline gave it a more business-casual approach. But her _legs_ \- he had to literally tear his eyes from the way she repeatedly crossed and uncrossed her smooth, pale limbs, lest he get called out for gawking.

He could hear Dick stumble over a greeting as he reached the redhead, which made it a little harder for Garfield to contain his mirth, though he persevered. Plopping down on the stool beside the pale girl, he awkwardly cleared his throat.

Her eyebrow twitched at the sound.

Swallowing nervously, he gave the girl a smile. "Uh, hey."

Her eyes remained glued to her phone, her thumb casually scrolling through her news feed.

"...Hi," she answered after a moment, her voice surprisingly raspy.

She still hadn't looked at him, which Garfield was actually kind of grateful for. Her features were rather striking, with high, defined cheekbones and incredibly arched eyebrows. She had a small, upturned nose, and full, deliciously kissable lips. He hadn't yet caught her eyes, though.

"My name's Gar - " he began, but she hurriedly cut him off.

"Not interested," she replied flatly, the straw of her drink brushing against her mouth as she spoke.

He chuckled at her quick response, shaking his head. He wasn't the least bit surprised.

The girl, however, seemed rather taken aback by his amusement. She gave him a curious look, and he felt himself flush as their eyes met. They were a deep, dark blue - almost indigo. An inhumanly pretty color. But the curiosity behind her eyes vanished after a moment. She regarded him blankly, her pale pink lips pursing around her straw as she took a slow, lingering sip.

She seemed to be waiting for him to say something else.

Suddenly feeling a little more confident, Garfield's smile widened.

"What's that?" he mused, gesturing towards the bright drink in her hand. She held his gaze a moment longer, before shifting her attention back to her phone.

"Midori sour."

Again, she answered him without a hint of emotion in her voice.

"Is it good?" He almost kicked himself as the words left his mouth. What a stupid thing to ask.

She spared him another sideways glance, before taking one last sip and finishing her drink. She then swiveled on her stool, setting the iced-filled glass on the counter behind her.

"It's... tolerable," she drawled after a moment, her eyes meeting his once again. Her expression remained passive, and Garfield wasn't quite sure if she was invested in their conversation or not. But if he had to guess, his money would be on _not_.

He decided to continue it, regardless.

"Can I buy you another?" His voice cracked slightly, his nervous nature breaking through to the surface. He silently cursed himself.

The girl narrowed her eyes at him. "Not interested," she repeated, turning herself away from the counter.

Despite his amusement, he couldn't stop the incredulous scoff that escaped his throat. If she wasn't interested, why was she still interacting with him? Girls were so confusing.

Shaking his head, he looked past the enigma beside him, hoping that Dick was maybe fairing a bit better. His friend's face was nearly the same color as his shirt, though the redhead seemed genuinely invested in their conversation. _Lucky him._

Garfield sighed, giving the girl beside him a slightly annoyed look.

"I'm just trying to be nice," he muttered, the music from the speakers above him nearly drowning out the sound of his voice.

But she merely arched her brow. "I know what you're trying to do," she deadpanned. She was still fixated on her phone, which was now displaying some type of forum on the screen. Curious, Garfield leaned in to get a better look. The girl stiffened at his close proximity, before fixing the blond with a glare.

"Um, can you _not?_ " she snarled, pulling her phone to her chest as she leaned away from him, her cheeks turning pink.

Blushing in return, Garfield gave her a sheepish grin. "Sorry - just wanted to see what was so interesting," he joked, retreating from her bubble.

"Not _you_ , that's for sure," she bit back, her tone rather harsh.

He quirked his eyebrow at that, surprised by the emotion. He had been under the impression that she was a robot.

"Rude," he huffed, though he couldn't help but grin. She was really cute when she was flustered.

She seemed unaware of that fact. "No, what's _rude_ is how you're reading over my shoulder," she spat, her pretty face contorted into a scowl. "As I've said, I'm _not interested_ , so you can run along." She then made a shooing motion with her hand.

With another laugh escaping his lips, Garfield turned himself around to face the bar, catching the bartender's attention with a wave. The tall, bearded fellow nodded at him, taking a step closer.

"What can I get ya?" he asked, leaning in.

Garfield smiled. "A jack and coke," he said simply, sparing the girl next to him a quick glance. "And a, uh, minora sour?"

"Midori," she corrected in a seemingly automatic way, before her eyes widened in surprise. "Wait, _what?_ "

He merely ignored her as he continued to grin. "A _Midori_ sour," he amended.

The bartender gave Garfield a questioning look, before smirking. "...Alright."

Feeling rather smug, the blond turned his attention back to the dark-haired beauty, whose expression was caught between shock and annoyance. But before she could say anything, the sudden movement on the other side of her caught both of their attention.

Garfield's eyebrows met his hairline as he watched Dick lead the redhead onto the dance floor, the girl sending her friend an excited smile from over her shoulder. The girl beside him looked even more shocked as her companion slipped into the crowd, leaving her alone at the bar with the blond.

"Shit," Garfield laughed, letting out a low whistle. "I didn't think he'd have the balls."

The dark-haired girl merely frowned, crossing her arms over her stomach as she leaned her back against the counter. "Your friend better not get his hopes up," she drawled, watching as the two began to dance. "Kori's not that kind of girl."

Garfield chuckled, feeling rather proud of his friend as he awkwardly shuffled closer to the redhead - er, _Kori_.

"Dick's not that kind of _guy_ ," he replied playfully. "Or, at least, he _wasn't_."

Her frown only deepened at his words.

"Jack and coke," a voice behind them announced, causing Garfield to swivel back towards the bar. "And a Midori Sour." The bearded man placed both drinks in front of the blond, before taking the girl's empty glass from earlier.

Swiping the green drink from the counter, Garfield held it out towards his companion.

She sent him another glare, before directing her narrowed eyes towards the glass.

"You're not a very good listener," she deadpanned.

Garfield grinned. "Nah, I'm just stubborn," he replied with a shrug.

She continued to eye the drink suspiciously, before letting out a weary sigh.

"Clearly," she muttered, reluctantly uncrossing her arms. Her hand delicately took the drink from him, her slim fingers brushing against his. He felt heat creep up his neck at the action, somewhat grateful for the way the girl refused to meet his gaze. He knew he didn't look _nearly_ as cute as her when flustered. He absently watched as she tentatively brought the straw to her lips, before sipping at the drink.

Feeling rather accomplished, Garfield lifted his own glass from the counter, forgoing the straw as he gulped down the beverage. He figured he could use a bit of the liquid courage.

He let a minute of silence stretch between them, idly listening to the song playing overhead as he downed his drink. So far, things had gone a little better than he expected - at least, for himself. He was beyond impressed that Dick had managed to lure the redhead onto the dance floor, as well as _keep_ her there. Sparing the girl beside him a quick glance, he found himself wondering if she'd be willing to dance with him.

But he hurriedly shook the thought away - she had barely even allowed him to buy her a drink. He knew dancing would be out of the question.

Instead, he let his eyes wander over her as she focused on her phone once more. She was rather petite, though her dress showed off her killer, hourglass figure. Despite them both sitting down, he guessed he was at least four inches taller than her, though her legs looked incredibly long. Her skin tone was paler than his own, which contrasted nicely with her raven-black hair. And again, he couldn't help but notice her pouty lips and how incredibly inviting they looked, regardless of her frown.

But at that thought, he realized something kind of crazy. She had yet to smile.

And that just wouldn't do.

"Wanna hear a joke?"

She seemed surprised by his question, her stoic facade slipping for a moment as she gave him an inquisitive look.

"Excuse me?"

Garfield smiled, turning himself towards her as he took another swig. The alcohol burned against the back of his throat, though he welcomed the sensation. "Wanna hear a joke?" he repeated.

Her blank look returned. "Not really."

Not at all shocked by her answer, he let out another chuckle. "Too bad," he teased, earning an eye roll - he noted that she looked pretty cute while annoyed, too. "Okay, why do ghosts make bad liars?"

She continued to stare at him, her face devoid of any emotion.

Realizing she wasn't going to play along, he sighed dramatically. "Because you can see right through them," he finished, letting out a hearty chuckle. He knew it was pretty lame, but in the way that made it ridiculously funny. At least, to him.

Though, she didn't seem to agree. "That was... awful."

Huffing at her response, Garfield leaned his elbow onto the counter, resting his chin in his palm. "Did you not get it?"

"I'm not an idiot. I got it - it just wasn't funny."

Scoffing playfully at her jab, he made eye contact with the bartender, silently motioning for another round. The alcohol was lowering his inhibitions, and he figured it wouldn't hurt to get a little buzz going on. It was making him more relaxed, which was apparently working in his favor with his new companion. She still seemed content with his company, at least.

"Okay, well, I can tell you another one," he offered, giving her a lazy smile.

Again, she gave him nothing to work with as she leisurely sipped her drink. "Please don't."

Shaking his head fondly, he quickly finished off his first drink just as the bartender brought him a new one. His lovely new friend was still nursing her second Midori sour, though Garfield did take the liberty of sliding her third one closer to her.

She watched the action from the corner of her eye, before she set her sights back onto her cellphone. Garfield disregarded the small twang of disappointment that stirred within him as she ignored him once more, but soon it was replaced by curiosity as she let out a subdued gasp, before straightening in her seat.

"She did _not_ ," she growled, her indigo eyes frantically scanning the room. Garfield hesitantly followed her gaze.

"Uh, everything good?" he wondered, absently realizing his drink no longer burned his throat - he hated being such a lightweight.

"Your _friend_ ," she hissed, her eyes still searching the bar, "took _my friend_ out to get _ice cream_."

It took a moment for her words to sink in, but once they did, Garfield's mouth split into a toothy grin. "Dude, Dick is _killing_ it," he laughed, mostly to himself.

But the cutie beside him was obviously less thrilled, though he wasn't sure why -

"Oh, shit," he blurted, his mind slowly churning over the new information. "She wasn't, like, your ride or anything, was she?" He hoped the girl wouldn't be stranded.

Luckily, she shook her head. "No, fortunately. We walked here."

He nodded in relief as his gaze trailed down her long, shapely legs, before eyeing her footwear suspiciously. She was wearing a pair of tall, black wedges.

"You _walked_ here?" he repeated incredulously. "In _those?_ "

She followed his gaze, a small smirk tugging at her lips. "Is that so hard to believe?"

Garfield felt his stomach flip as his eyes traced her subtle smile. "I'm just impressed, I guess," he answered honestly. The smirk was definitely an improvement. But as he pondered further over her words, he let out a gasp of his own. "Oh, shit! Dick was _my_ ride!"

But the sound of her poorly disguised snickering distracted him from his annoyance. She was hiding her grin behind her hand as she shamelessly laughed at the blond's misfortune.

"It's not _funny_ ," he whined, though a small smile fought its way onto his face. _Fucking Dick_ , he mused internally.

"It's funnier than that 'joke' you told me two minutes ago," she teased, though her smile slowly melted back into a neutral expression. He was sad to see it go, though there were now more pressing matters at hand.

"Fuck, I'm gonna have to call a cab," he groaned, patting down his pockets in search of his cellphone. But, when all he was met with was the bulge of his wallet, he felt like screaming. "My phone is in his fucking _car!_ "

The girl beside him still looked amused, though she refrained from commenting on his predicament. Instead, she lazily swapped out her now empty glass for the fresh drink beside her.

Realizing that she was still putting up with him, Garfield pushed aside his aggravation. He'd just have to make the best of whatever the hell was happening.

"I could possibly loan you my phone if you need to call a cab," she mused dryly, resting the straw against her lips once again. "If you promise not to tell anymore jokes, that is."

He was _pretty_ sure she was still teasing him, though her monotone made it difficult to decipher. He watched as her eyes swept over the room, as if avoiding his lingering gaze.

 _Interesting_ , he mused mentally. It seemed her inhibitions were lowered as well, though he didn't think it was due to the alcohol. Perhaps it was his persistence? Or his wit? His charm, maybe?

Garfield smiled at the thought of charming the stoic girl before him.

She finally directed her sights back to him, before narrowing her eyes at his lofty expression.

"What?"

He ignored the way his face flushed, praying that the dim lighting above the bar made it less noticeable. "I, uh... I just thought of another joke."

She rolled her eyes at his answer, looking back towards the crowd.

"I'm not gonna tell you, though," he continued.

She arched her brow. "Good."

"But just 'cuz you wouldn't get it."

She glanced back at him. "I seriously doubt that," she drawled, her eyes quickly flicking over him.

He nearly choked on his drink as her gaze lingered on his body for a moment, before meeting his once again. Swallowing down his beverage, he felt himself blush harder.

 _Dude, did she just check me out?_ he wondered, though he figured it was just the alcohol catching up to him. The bar had a reputation for over-pouring their beverages; something the patrons liked to take advantage of. Something _he_ had initially planned on taking advantage of, before Dick caught sight of the redhead - _Kori_ , wasn't it?

But at that, he realized he had yet to get his new friend's name.

"I'm Garfield, by the way," he began, setting his glass on the countertop as he offered up his hand.

She ignored the gesture, and instead repeated his name as she looked away. "Garfield?"

Lowering his hand, he couldn't help it as an embarrassed laugh escaped his lips. "Uh, yeah - but my _friends_ call me Gar."

Her eyes darted towards him momentarily, reminding him of how pretty they were.

" _I'm_ not your friend," she mused dryly, though he could hear a hint of amusement in her voice. "So, what should _I_ call you?"

Oh god. It was perfect.

" _You_ can call me _later_ ," he grinned, mentally congratulating himself on his quick thinking.

She seemed less impressed. "How? You don't have a phone, remember?"

Garfield frowned at her reminder. _Fucking Dick!_

He let out a frustrated sigh, leaning himself onto the counter beside him. What a waste of a fantastic pick-up line.

The girl beside him turned back towards the counter, placing her now empty glass on the surface, before meeting his eyes.

"Raven," she deadpanned.

Garfield cocked his head to the side, confused.

"My _name_ ," she elaborated.

Garfield blinked at her, letting her words sink in. "Oh... _Oh!_ "

She told him her name. That was totally progress, right?

His eyes swept over her once again, connecting the name to the woman before him. She looked like a Raven. He decided to tell her that.

"You look like a Raven," he smiled, before thinking better of his statement. "I mean, not like the _bird_ or whatever, but, like, the name suits you, you know?" _Smooth_.

Raven regarded him blankly. "Okay."

He resisted the urge to smack himself. Why was he such a moron?

He watched as Raven turned her attention back towards her phone, his shoulders slumping as he took in her bored expression. Things had been going so decent there for a second or two, but now she was busy typing away on her touch screen, probably sending out an SOS.

"Do you have a preferred company?" she asked suddenly, her eyes meeting his. "For your cab?"

His _cab?_ Oh, right. Garfield chuckled, shaking his head at what he wanted to say. But as his gaze drifted back to her legs, he decided to throw caution to the wind.

"Huh, I figured I was just gonna go home with you."

It was bold, and forward, but he knew he had already blown his chance the moment he sat down.

Raven's eyes narrowed at him, though he did catch a faint blush spreading across her cheeks. She then pushed herself away from the bar and stood up; Garfield noticing that his initial guess on their height difference had been pretty spot on. She looked to be maybe 5'8" in her wedges, which would put her at about 5'5" barefoot. He was barely 5'10", though he didn't let it get him down. It was a vast improvement to the 5'6" he was throughout high school.

He watched as she shoved her phone into the small pocket of her dress, before she turned away from him, her steps leading her towards the exit. He was pretty bummed that she was leaving, but he couldn't help himself as he stared at her ass. Perky - the opposite of her personality.

Raven suddenly turned back around, his face flushing as he realized he had been caught. She was glaring at him from the other side of the room, before she delicately arched her brow.

"Well?" she drawled, impatiently tapping her foot. "Are you _coming_ or not?"

Garfield stared at her quizzically, his mind refusing to process her question for several moments. But, as her words sunk in, he couldn't help but share a surprised look with the bartender beside him, who had been the only witness to their exchange. The bearded man quirked a bushy eyebrow, before motioning towards Raven. Garfield nodded absently, his mind finally catching up. Jumping from his stool, he hurriedly pulled out his wallet, before slapping a fifty on the counter and jogging towards the confusing girl.

"Y-yeah, totally," he stuttered.

Again, she rolled her eyes at him, before slipping through the exit. He followed after her like a lost puppy dog, his eyes wide. She was surprisingly fast, despite her shoes, and he found it rather difficult to keep pace with her as they crossed the parking lot.

"So, uh, how far is your place?" he asked, uncomfortable with the silence.

"Around the block."

Garfield nodded at her answer, too scared to chance a glance at her. Instead, he focused on the ground below him.

This wasn't his first time going home with a girl, but it _was_ his first time going home with a girl like Raven. She hadn't really given him the impression that she was interested. In fact, he had been about ninety-eight percent certain that she couldn't even stand him.

He idly wondered if Dick was having as much luck as him.

"So, uh, is Kori your roommate?" he asked after another stretch of silence.

"She is."

Garfield nodded, his gaze still focused on the sidewalk. "Do you think her and Dick are gonna be there?" he wondered. He almost hoped they would be - his friend wouldn't believe him, otherwise.

Raven snorted in amusement. "I doubt it. Like I said, Kori isn't that kind of girl."

"But _you_ are?" he mused, hoping she wouldn't take offense. He finally found the courage to look at her face, and was rather surprised to see her smirking.

"Maybe I just wanted someone to walk me home," she answered after a moment.

Garfield shook his head, a small smile tugging at his lips. "You could have just _asked_ me to walk you home," he admitted, slipping his hands into his pockets. "I wouldn't have minded."

He could see her glance at him from the corner of his eye, though he directed his attention back to the sidewalk. "Really?" she challenged. "What, you would have just done so out of the kindness of your heart?"

Garfield shrugged. "Well, yeah - I'm _that_ kind of guy," he replied simply.

Raven stopped suddenly, causing Garfield to trip over himself. For a second, he was worried he had offended her, but as he turned himself around to face her, he noticed she was staring at the duplex beside them. He followed her gaze, noting that it was a cute house, with big windows and a literal white picket-fence. Was this her place? He was kind of expecting a castle, to be honest.

"This it?"

Raven nodded, before pushing open the gate and walking down the pathway, the sound of her footsteps echoing in the night. Garfield hesitated on the sidewalk, before heaving an exasperated sigh and following after her.

Again, he couldn't stop himself from shamelessly ogling her butt as she bent over, removing what appeared to be her spare house-key from the fake rock on the porch. He watched as she unlocked the door, his mind jumping back to their prior conversation. _Had_ she just been using him for company on her walk? Or was she actually wanting him to go inside?

She opened her door slowly, before turning back around to face him as she leaned against the door frame. Her face was completely blank.

Garfield smiled awkwardly, his hands still in his pockets as he rocked on his feet. But the sudden movement from the bottom of her door caught his eye.

"Dude! You've got a cat?"

An orange tom weaved its way between Raven's legs, sniffing her impractical shoes. Acting on impulse, Garfield bent down, holding his hand out towards the cat. The little dude gave him a tentative sniff, before rubbing his face along the blond's fingers.

"What's his name?"

"Silkie," Raven deadpanned from above. "He's Kori's."

Garfield smiled as he ruffled the cat's fur, before glancing up at Raven. It was then that he realized how close he was to her; he was practically eye-level with the hem of her dress. Gulping nervously, he tore his gaze from her thighs, his eyes slowly traveling over her body as he willed himself to look at her face.

She continued to regard him with disinterest, crossing her arms over her chest as she arched her brow.

"You're a cat person, I take it?" she mused.

His eyes snapped back to where her dress ended, and he found himself suddenly transfixed by her milky skin. "Um, y-you could say that."

"Hmm."

She stood there for a moment longer, seemingly unbothered by the way Garfield stared at her legs. But he couldn't help it; they looked so soft and smooth and it took all of his willpower to keep his hand on the cat.

But as his fingers stroked the empty space below him, he realized Silkie had slipped away.

"Can you grab him?"

Garfield jumped, his eyes darting between hers and the spot where the cat had been.

"He's not supposed to be outside," she continued, before stepping further into her home.

Garfield nodded as he turned to his right, watching as the cat pawed at the rose bush beside Raven's porch. He smiled at the action, before scooping the little guy into his arms and standing up. Silkie struggled for a moment with a pathetic mew, attempting to wiggle out of the blond's grasp. But, Garfield held tight, gently petting the guy as he glanced towards Raven's open door.

Steeling his nerves, Garfield stepped into her home.

It was rather dark, seeing how the only light came from a small lamp in her living room to his right. A large black sectional curved around the wall, adorned with various throw pillows. The TV sat across from it, Garfield noting that the girls probably didn't use it often, considering the fact that the window was on the opposite wall. The glare from the sunlight during the day would be terrible.

There was a weird, ottoman/coffee table hybrid in the middle of the room, covered in fashion magazines. A lone cat tree sat beside the TV.

Shutting the door behind him, Garfield glanced towards his left. She had a small kitchen, with an island counter and two bar stools. The appliances were stainless steel, and the counter tops looked to be genuine granite. It seemed the two girls were rather well-off.

Raven was standing in the kitchen with her back towards him, bending slightly as she opened her fridge. Her hair kept falling into her face, and he almost chuckled at the frustrated way she'd tuck it behind her ear.

"Want anything to drink?" she offered, glancing at him from over her shoulder.

Garfield shrugged absently, transfixed by the way the light from the fridge glowed against the side of her face, emphasizing her delicate bone structure.

"I've got juice, soda," she began, turning herself back towards her fridge, "milk, beer - "

"Beer," Garfield blurted, his face flushing.

Raven nodded, reaching into her fridge and pulling out a single glass bottle.

Realizing that he was still holding a struggling Silkie, Garfield gently placed the cat onto the hardwood flooring, watching as the little guy raced towards his cat tree. He could hear the sound of Raven's footsteps nearing him, though he couldn't find the courage to look at her.

The beer hissed as she screwed off the top, and he watched from the corner of his eye as she took a quick swig, before holding it out towards him. He avoided her gaze as he took it, surprised to see that it was a very popular, and incredibly expensive brand. If he remembered correctly, they were about twenty dollars a bottle at the restaurant he worked at.

"Kori's publicist took us to some hop festival last month. We don't usually drink the pretentious stuff," she explained, obviously noting Garfield's incredulous look.

He quirked his brow at that. "Kori's got a publicist?"

Raven shrugged. "She was a model back in Europe," she said simply, as if it were totally normal to be roommates with a famous person.

Garfield finally looked at her, his shock outweighing his nerves. "She's from _Europe?_ "

Raven almost smiled at him. "I'm guessing you didn't hear her speak."

Rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly, Garfield let out a nervous laugh. "I, uh, I guess I was distracted," he admitted, suddenly finding the dingy laces of his black sneakers incredibly interesting. "Whoa, wait - Kori's a _model?_ "

Raven snorted in amusement. "I'm guessing you didn't _look_ at her, either."

But Garfield ignored her teasing tone, instead giving the girl beside him an inquisitive once-over. "Are _you_ a model, too?"

She blushed at that.

"Don't let my shoes mislead you; I'm about half a foot too short," she replied dryly, though her embarrassment was made apparent by the redness of her cheeks.

Garfield's own face flushed in return, though he couldn't help himself from smiling. He did attempt to hide it as he brought the beer to his lips, taking a tentative sip. His face scrunched at the taste.

"...Hoppy," he declared after a moment.

"Very," was her simple reply.

Garfield could feel the tension building in the air between them, though he wasn't sure where it was stemming from. It was sexual tension on his part, if the way his pants grew increasingly uncomfortable around his groin were any indication. But, for her? He guessed she was just waiting for him to finish his drink and leave.

He took another swig, ignoring the foul taste it left in his mouth. He wasn't much of a beer guy.

He could feel Raven's eyes linger on him, before she stepped out of his peripheral vision and towards her couch. The sound of her struggling with something filled the otherwise silent room, and he found his curiosity get the best of him as he turned himself around the face her. She was attempting to take off her shoe, though it seemed the clasp was stuck.

Garfield felt himself freeze as she gave him an irritated look.

"Would you mind helping me with these?" she deadpanned, gesturing to her feet as she sat herself on the arm of her sectional.

Garfield nodded awkwardly, though he remained rooted in his spot.

Raven huffed in frustration. "Today, maybe?"

His face growing hotter, Garfield chugged about half of the bottle, before setting it on the ottoman between them. He shyly made his way towards her, awkwardly kneeling next to her legs as he eyed the shoe's clasp. It looked like it was just caught on the strap, which had twisted a bit. Bringing his shaky hands towards her ankle, he tried to ignore the feeling of her smooth skin beneath his fingertips.

Untwisting the strap, he was able to quickly undo the clasp, the shoe slipping from her foot and landing on the floor.

He could hear Raven sigh from above him.

"That's the last time I let Kori pick out my footwear."

Garfield nodded absently as he reached for her other foot, removing her shoe in the same fashion. "You sure knew how to walk in them," he mused.

"Fifteen years of ballet," she responded flatly.

Garfield met her eyes at that, surprised that a girl as dark and mysterious as her had been a ballerina once upon a time. Though, the poised way in which she held herself was kind of a giveaway, along with her strong leg muscles.

Oh, _shit_. He was staring at her legs again.

Still, she didn't seem to mind. He figured that a pretty girl like her was used to being stared at.

"If I have sex with you, you can't tell your friend," Raven began randomly, the abruptness of her statement literally knocking Garfield off of his feet as he tipped backwards, landing on his butt.

"W-what?"

She ignored his confusion. "Your friend - the one who's out with Kori right now," she continued, her voice as monotonous as ever. "Dick, was it?"

He nodded, his eyes wide.

"You can't tell him. I don't want Kori to know, and he'd undoubtedly tell her." Raven crossed her ankles as she re-positioned herself on the arm of the couch, her eyes avoiding his. "I have a feeling that this won't be the only time they see each other, and if they start dating or whatever, and she gets wind of us, then I know for a fact she'll try to rope us into double-dates."

Garfield's mind was still preoccupied with the whole 'sex' thing.

"No offense," she continued, seemingly unaware of the brain matter leaking from his ears. "I'm just not a double-dating kind of girl."

Garfield blinked. He had _no idea_ what kind of girl Raven was.

She finally graced him with her attention, her face flushing an adorably red color. Garfield stared back, his mind still reeling from the bomb she dropped. She had said _sex_ , right? _Sex with him_. She had said she would have sex with him.

Garfield absently pinched himself, wincing.

Okay, he was awake. And in this strange girl's house. Where she propositioned him.

With _sex_.

He was still horribly confused, but he knew he liked the sound of that.

"Can't tell Dick," he repeated, his brain slowly processing her terms. Can't tell Dick, 'cuz Dick was out with Kori. And Kori was the type of girl who didn't go home with guys. She instead roped them into double dates with her roommate. Her hot roommate, who just said she'd have sex with him.

"I mean, maybe I'm being presumptuous, but it's Kori," Raven said, shrugging. "Your friend doesn't know what he's in for."

Garfield didn't doubt that. His friend was a closet-romantic, and the prospect of wooing the lovely, redheaded _model_ would definitely be of interest to him. So, Raven was justified in setting down a few guidelines. Though, Garfield could do without the whole 'business-meeting' vibe she was giving off. They were way too buzzed to be making plans that _didn't_ involve making out. And Garfield was never one to plan ahead, anyway. He was spontaneous and impulsive.

He was gonna kiss her.

Garfield abruptly stood up, Raven's eyes following him curiously. He was still confused as ever, but he wasn't stupid. Pretty girl talking about sex? _Kiss_ _her_.

He stepped towards her clumsily, before leaning down and capturing her mouth with his, nearly knocking her from the arm of the couch. But she kept her balance by grabbing a hold of his shoulders, her lips moving against his as she pulled him closer.

She tasted like candy, and he was grateful to be rid of the hoppy flavor of the beer. He slipped one arm around her waist, before pulling her into an upright position. Their new height difference startled him for a moment, though he didn't mind having to lean down if it meant her lips would stay on his. His other hand traveled lower, tentatively cupping her ass.

She moaned into his mouth, and he couldn't help but return it as he pulled her even closer, not allowing a single millimeter of space between them. He began walking backwards, letting her lead him towards her bedroom. Her hand left his body for a moment as she twisted her doorknob, before they stepped into her room. He resisted the urge to open his eyes, and instead ran his tongue along her bottom lip, smiling at the way she melted into him.

But his smiled vanished as she pulled away, glancing up at him while panting. He opened his eyes to meet hers, his breathing just as ragged.

"Condom?" she whispered breathlessly.

Garfield could only nod, sending a silent prayer of thanks to the gods that he had slipped one into his wallet earlier that evening. Just in case.

Raven's mouth was on his once again, her teeth catching his bottom lip and pulling. He groaned at the sensation, his pants becoming increasingly tighter at his crotch.

The back of his calves suddenly hit something solid, and he realized that they had reached her bed. She pulled away from him again, though her eyes remained closed as she leaned her head to the side, exposing her neck.

"My dress," she sighed, her words dying in her throat as he trailed kisses down her neck. He reluctantly removed his hand from her rear, before sliding it up the smooth material of her dress, until he felt the zipper between her shoulder blades. His fingers toyed with it for a moment, his mind suddenly preoccupied with her gasps as he nipped at the skin above her pulse.

"M-my dress," she repeated, her raspy voice sending a chill down his spine. Everything about the girl was sexy.

Garfield finally found the sense to undress her, his hand slowly unzipping the cursed black material that kept him from seeing her body. He had known she was hot, but actually having the girl in his arms made her so much _hotter_.

He felt her impatiently tug at the hem of his t-shirt, and the thought of her wanting to see more of him turned him on even more. Pulling himself off of her, he allowed his eyes to sweep over her body as she shimmied out of her dress. He nearly growled at the sight of her black bra, ripping his shirt over his head and tossing it to the side.

She was a fucking bombshell. There was no other way to describe her. All she was doing was standing before him, wearing a plain black bra and purple, polka dot panties. It wasn't even the sexy lingerie he saw in magazines. It was basic.

Yet that made it so fucking hot.

Garfield didn't remember moving, but somehow she was in his arms again, and he was being pushed onto her bed. Her mouth was upon his once more, and he nearly came then and there as she moaned into the kiss. She tangled her fingers in his hair as she crawled on top of him, while his hands fumbled with the clasp of her bra. Her hips moved against his in a way that was almost agonizing - the pressure in his pants increasing tenfold with every pant and gasp.

He continued to struggle with removing her bra, his fingers clumsily toying with the hook, before he impatiently tugged at the band.

Raven's lips detached from his as she huffed in frustration, pushing herself up into a sitting position, her legs on either side of his hips.

"It's not fucking rocket science," she mumbled, slipping one hand behind her back and effortlessly unhooking the garment.

Garfield's breath hitched as she shrugged the straps off of her shoulders, before tossing the bra onto her floor. He knew he was staring, but he couldn't help it. The hottest girl he had ever laid eyes on was _literally_ on top of him, half-naked, and glaring daggers. Nearly thirty seconds had passed, yet he continued to stare shamelessly. That dress had been doing her a disservice, if he were to be honest. How had she hidden _those_ all night?

Or, more importantly - _why?!_ She was _stacked_. And Dick was thinking _he_ scored with the redhead. Nope - Garfield was fairly certain that he would be coming out on top. Or bottom. Whatever Raven preferred.

"Don't tell me you're a virgin."

Her voice was flat, unlike her chest. Garfield's eyes remained glued to her breasts as he propped himself up onto his elbows. It took a moment for her words to sink in, but once they did, he almost scoffed.

"Uh, _n-no!_ " he stuttered defiantly, his eyes meeting hers for a moment, before darting down once more. He raised one hand towards her slowly, as if she were a skittish animal, and any sudden movement would scare her off.

Gently cupping her breast, he chanced another glance at her face. She was looking at him strangely, her head cocked to the side and her brow arched. He tentatively brushed his thumb over her nipple, watching as she bit her bottom lip. She rolled her hips against his again, causing him to release a pained whimper. He was again overwhelmed by the urge to kiss her, though her lips weren't necessary for that. Sitting up, he shifted her into his lap as his lips captured her other nipple.

She let out a surprised gasp, before melting into him as he trailed kisses over her chest.

He could feel his cock throbbing within his pants, painfully constricted by the stiff denim. Wrapping his arms around her, he hurriedly flipped her onto her back, another gasp escaping her as her hands wrapped around his neck.

" _Fuck_ ," she hissed, her fingers tangling in his hair once again as his mouth returned to her nipple. While his left hand continued to caress her breast, his right slowly traveled down her side, before stopping as he reached the hem of her panties.

But as his fingers traced along the fabric, he realized that she was nearly naked, and he was still wearing his too-tight jeans.

Pushing himself off of her, he let out a shuddering breath as he took in the sight before him.

Raven's short hair was disheveled in the sexiest way, and she was biting her lip again as she gazed up at him. Her chest was rising and falling rapidly, with a few newly-forming hickies marring her otherwise flawless, porcelain skin.

Realizing that he was staring, _yet again_ , Garfield shook his head, before hurriedly removing his wallet and setting it on the bed. He then removed his jeans, clumsily kicking them off as his eyes zeroed in on Raven's underwear.

She squirmed under his gaze, and, as if reading his mind, she slowly sat up, before hooking her thumbs under the hem of her panties. He watched as she pulled them down, almost leisurely. But, she hadn't even gotten the material past her knees when his patience suddenly ran out.

Grabbing the hem, he yanked the garment off of her forcefully, tossing it to the side before pushing apart her knees and burying his face between her legs.

Raven fell back, gasping again as his tongue dipped into her entrance, and he mentally high-fived himself as she writhed beneath him. Exploring her with his mouth, he couldn't help but grin as her thighs tightened around his head. She bucked against him as his tongue swirled over her clit, and practically melted into her mattress when he began to suck on it. She tasted amazing, and the whimpers and moans that escaped from her nearly pushed him over the edge. He could feel his cock twitching against his boxers, and though he was absolutely enjoying eating her out, he decided to be a little selfish.

Pushing himself up, he gave her a sympathetic grin as she let out a dissatisfied whimper, her brows furrowing quizzically.

Not wanting to waste any more time, Garfield quickly removed his boxers and reached for his wallet. He fumbled with it for a moment, feeling a tad bit insecure as Raven craned her neck, her dark blue eyes tracing his form curiously.

He nearly dropped his wallet when she sat up suddenly, his mind immediately blanking as his gaze focused in on her breasts once again. Raven seemed unfazed as she took the wallet from his hands, delicately removing the condom hidden within.

"Are you _sure_ you're not a virgin?" she taunted in her monotone, a small smirk tugging at the corner of her mouth. Garfield's eyes darted between her chest and her smile, unsure of which one to stare at. Both sights were quite remarkable. Again, her words took a moment to sink in as he settled on admiring her face.

" _Dude_ ," he groaned, his face flushing. He may not have been the most experienced guy, but even a womanizer would be tongue-tied in the presence of someone as beautiful as Raven.

She rolled her eyes at his reply, and he couldn't stop himself from stealing another kiss. Pushing her onto her back, he slowly crawled over her, shaking with anticipation as her hand wrapped around his cock.

She tugged on it gently, causing Garfield to growl against her lips. He almost protested when he felt her release him, but the sound of her tearing open the condom's wrapper was an acceptable interruption. Again, the anticipation was overwhelming, and the feeling of her fingers slowly rolling the latex over his length was nearly enough to make him cum - as embarrassing as that was. It had been maybe... _five_ months since he had last gotten laid; could you really blame the guy for getting a little too excited?

Though, that was no excuse. He couldn't end the night... _prematurely_. Garfield hurriedly shook his head, nearly laughing out loud at his own joke.

Instead, he focused on the way her tongue slid along his, and the feeling of her nipples brushing against his chest. He positioned himself between her legs, the head of his penis resting at her entrance. She was unbelievably wet, and he was so fucking hard, and the fact that he was about to have sex with this strange, gorgeous woman blew his mind.

He smiled against her lips, feeling the weirdest sense of pride at the situation. How the hell had dorky, awkward, _Garfield Logan_ gone home with a girl like Raven? She was so incredibly out of his league, it was _sad_. Never had a girl of her caliber given him the time of day. She was beautiful and sexy and aloof. And Garfield? He was skinny and goofy. Loud and obnoxious. Kind of annoying. And _so fucking hard_.

Despite his buzz wearing off, he wasn't sober enough to over-analyze the situation completely. Instead, he let out a shaky breath as he broke their kiss, before thrusting into her. Raven inhaled sharply, her nails digging into his back as she adjusted to him, before pulling his mouth back onto hers.

He knew he wasn't going to last very long as he pulled out almost completely, before slamming back into her. She was so tight and felt so good and _god_ , the way she was _kissing_ him; he had never been as turned on as he was right now. Her teeth pulled at his bottom lip again while she groaned into his mouth, and he was helpless as she wrapped her legs around him.

" _Harder_ ," she whispered, her fingers threading through his hair.

Garfield complied, silently cursing her as he felt himself get closer. He wasn't sure if he could last more than five minutes - and that would be taking it _slow_. But he couldn't very well ignore her raspy demand. He picked up his pace ever so slightly, slamming into her wildly as she tugged at his hair. His own hands were also preoccupied; one was lying at Raven's side as he used his arm to prop himself up comfortably, while the other slipped between their bodies as he gently rubbed her clit.

He could feel her legs tightening around him as she lifted her hips off of the bed, and her breasts pushed against his chest in a way that was just too awesome for words. She was muttering something incoherent between their kisses, her deep, raspy voice sending a pleasant chill down his spine. The sound of her breath hitching against his lips was the final straw.

Letting out a gasp of his own, Garfield finished as Raven pulled him into another kiss. He could feel her body twitching beneath his, and he hoped that meant that she had finished, too.

Her tongue ran over his lip tentatively, as if she was suddenly unsure about kissing him. He parted his mouth regardless, finding her sudden shyness rather odd. She had been so confident and collected beforehand - it was a jarring difference.

But not unwelcomed. The kiss was slow and cautious, allowing him to slip out of her gently as he cupped her face with one hand. He used his other hand to reach between them, before breaking the kiss and rolling off of her.

Their eyes met for a moment, before Garfield averted his gaze as he removed the condom. A fine layer of sweat covered the both of them, though it only added to Raven's sex appeal. He was sure it just made him look kinda gross.

She continued to lay beside him, either unaware or uncaring of the way his eyes roamed over her body. Again, the realization that she was the hottest girl Garfield had ever hooked up with (let alone _seen_ ) fell upon him once more, and he couldn't suppress the toothy grin that encompassed his face.

"What are you smiling about?" she mused flatly, though he did detect a bit of humor in her voice.

But Garfield only shrugged, unsure of what to say as his eyes leisurely trailed up her form, before meeting hers. She was smirking at him, causing his grin to widen significantly. She was so fucking weird and confusing and beautiful.

"Oh, nothing," he replied quietly, resisting the urge to pull her in for another kiss. "I just thought of another joke, is all."

Raven rolled her eyes, her smirk turning into an all-out smile, and Garfield idly wondered if his heart was still beating.

* * *

 **I may or may not be postponing writing the final few chapters of The New Normal, since I'm weirdly attached to that story and I don't want it to end lmao. Sooo I decided to try my hand at writing an AU - how'd it turn out? :)**

 **I was originally going to have Cyborg be the bartender, but I'm considering writing a companion piece to this in Raven's POV for the morning after, and figured I'd get better use of him then. Let me know if you guys are interested in that, I guess? Or just leave a review!**


	2. Chapter 2

Raven was predictable. She only wore black, styled her hair the same way every day, and always had a book on her. She was also practical. She worked 9-5, Monday through Friday at a job she didn't necessarily enjoy, but it paid her bills and allowed her a few luxuries. Raven also thought of herself as reliable. She was punctual, never forgot a deadline, and would effortlessly dodge any obstacle thrown her way. Nothing could shake her. Nothing fazed her.

Aside from the blond guy passed out in her bed.

Sunlight peeked through the blinds covering her window, casting striped shadows across her blue comforter. The smell of freshly-brewed coffee wafted from the crack beneath her door, signaling that her roommate was already awake. The clock on her nightstand read 9:04 - a bit later than she was used to rising, though she had planned on having a lazy Sunday, anyway.

But what _wasn't_ a part of her plan? The blond in her bed.

Raven pulled her knees to her chest, her heart hammering against her ribs as her mind searched for answers. She had gone out with Kori last night, in celebration of the redhead's one-year anniversary since getting her citizenship. And she had promised herself that she would have _one_ drink, and that she _wouldn't_ let Kori run off with the first guy to grow a pair and approach her, and that the two of them would have a nice, low-key girls-night. Hell, she even let Kori talk her into wearing sky-high wedges.

But then _the blond_ happened.

Raven knew he had a name. A name he had even told her. But, for the life of her, she just could _not_ remember. It was unexpected - much like the situation she now found herself in (but that was beside the point). Old-fashioned. Made her think of Silkie, for some strange reason.

 _Chester?_

No, that didn't sound right.

Pushing the thought aside, Raven continued to quietly observe her sleeping companion. He was lying on his stomach, the skin of his upper back uncovered by her blanket and marred only by the shadows from her window. He had a nice back; muscular. Probably an avid gym-goer. He was tan, but not overly so. It was in a sun-kissed, beach-bum kinda way. He looked like he possibly surfed, or maybe even skateboarded - that was still a thing, wasn't it? It'd explain his choppy, unkempt hair. He was obviously old enough to drink, having picked her up in a bar. But, from what she could remember, he did have a bit of a baby-face. Cute, unassuming.

Leaning forward slightly, Raven sneaked a look at his face. His cheek was squished against her pillow, and his lips were parted slightly, allowing a small puddle of drool to form on her navy pillowcase.

 _Gross_.

But he _was_ still cute, which was quite the relief. She'd hate to discover that she had taken a troll home.

Though, as she continued to admire his attractiveness, she was hit with a startling realization. If he was as _cute_ as she remembered, that meant he was also as _annoying_.

Suppressing a groan, Raven's thoughts wandered back to the previous night, and she reassessed her first impression of the blond: that he was talkative, irritating, and (begrudgingly) attractive. From the moment he sat down, she knew she was in for a headache. He just had that look about him; that charming, boyish, nothing-but-trouble look. And how he just laughed off her initial rejection? Oddly enticing; sexy, even. There was something about his confidence (or, apparent lack thereof), that had her intrigued.

Which completely and utterly confused her.

Raven was used to guys approaching her. Years of ballet had formed her body into something she was proud of, and genetics had blessed her with a proportional, symmetrical face. Male attention was not foreign to her, and though she was used to being second-choice when out with Kori, she had nearly perfected her disinterested expressions and scathing remarks.

But that didn't even _faze_ the blond. He had been relentless; buying her drinks, chatting her up, and, dear lord, _telling jokes_. And even when she made it abundantly clear that she was not interested, he kept at it. He poked and prodded and _smiled_ and holy shit, he _somehow_ came home with her.

He came home with her, and she had sex with him. She _initiated_ sex with him. Sure, he kissed her first, but she had flat-out _told_ him that sex was definitely on the table.

Stoic, collected, non-impulsive Raven... _fucked_ a total stranger.

 _Why_ was she not regretting it? Yeah, the sex was pretty good - she hadn't had a night like that in months. And he was attentive. He made sure she was enjoying it; he _wanted_ her to enjoy it. He touched her and teased her, pushing her over the edge. And he was an amazing kisser - she couldn't remember the last time she had been kissed so passionately. The chemistry between them was undeniable; she had felt it the moment he smiled at her. His crooked grin, the twinkling of his eyes, and - _ugh_ , she was starting to sound like Kori. Sappy and romantic? Fantasizing about his beautiful emerald irises and dazzling white teeth?

Someone put her out of her misery. She had officially gone insane.

Raven pinched the bridge of her nose, letting out a hushed, exasperated sigh. How had she let this happen?

Sparing the blond beside her another glance, she allowed herself a few more moments of peace, idly listening to her roommate prance about the house, cheerfully humming to herself. It seemed Kori was in a good mood.

Thankful that she had had the foresight to shut and lock her bedroom door, Raven directed her sights towards her dresser. She had fallen asleep in the nude, and though her companion had already seen all of her personal bits, she didn't want to wake him up while stark-naked. She still had an ounce of dignity, despite her poor decision-making the night before.

Plus, without the alcohol influencing her, she was kind of self-conscious.

Steeling her resolve, Raven slowly shifted towards the edge of her bed, her eyes fixed on the blond. Yeah, her end-goal was to wake him up and kick him out, but she didn't want to startle him.

Setting her feet on the floor, Raven silently cursed her mattress as it groaned at her slow departure.

Though, her irritation seemed to be for naught, as her companion didn't even stir. Of _course_ he was a heavy sleeper - anybody else would have woken up the moment their drool formed a puddle. But this guy -

 _Oliver?_ No, that wasn't it, either. _Ugh._

\- this guy, he was dead to the world.

Keeping her steps light, Raven made her way towards her dresser, intent on at least throwing on a t-shirt. She opened the second drawer slowly, sparing the lump in her bed a quick glance, before snatching a worn black tee from the neatly-folded contents. Slipping it over her head, she was pleasantly surprised to find that the hem reached the tops of her thighs - pants were unnecessary.

Smoothing down the shirt, she turned back around to face her bed, her eyes drilling holes into the sleeping blond. How _dare_ he look so comfortable. He hadn't even _spoken_ yet, and he was already pissing her off.

Releasing a slow, controlled breath, Raven attempted to center herself. There was no reason to get worked up over something so meaningless. _She_ was the one who put herself in this position, after all. It wasn't _his_ fault that they had had sex.

Besides, she did have fun. The way his lips felt against her skin was euphoric; how he had pushed her legs apart and -

Raven hurriedly shook her head, banishing that train of thought to the recesses of her mind. Now was _not_ the time to revisited... _that_. No, right now she needed to do some damage control. Taking a small step forward, she again cringed at the creak of her floorboards, despite knowing that the blond was practically comatose. The hardwood was cold against her bare feet, sending a flock of goosebumps up her legs and reminding her of her current state of undress. Eyeing her discarded underwear from the night before, Raven delicately lowered herself towards them, before snatching them up. Hygiene be damned - modesty was more important at the moment.

But as she stepped into her panties, she felt her resolve weaken once more. Never had she allowed herself to be in this position; never had she experienced a one-night-stand, nor what would come after. Never had she just _jumped_ a guy - and never one that was as utterly insufferable as the blond. How was she supposed to just... wake him up? What was she meant to say?

 _Hey, Moron. Last night was fun. Now get out._

Yeah, no. She may have been blunt, but she wasn't _tactless._

Pulling her underwear the rest of the way up, Raven's sights again fell upon her sleeping companion. He had been nice. Not a _gentleman_ by any means, but nice. And he was cute. Nice and cute. Funny -

 _No,_ Raven thought quickly. _Not funny_.

 _Nice_. He didn't deserve a rude awakening.

Her eyes darting towards her alarm clock once more, Raven sighed. 9:09.

Letting him sleep a few minutes longer wouldn't hurt. Her footsteps leading her towards her bedroom door, Raven spared one last glance at the blond, before twisting the doorknob and slipping into her hallway.

The smell of coffee was now significantly stronger, and she followed her nose to the source while mentally composing herself. The sound of Kori's cheerful humming was both a blessing and a curse - the redhead was obviously in a good mood. Which meant Raven was in for an earful the moment she stepped into the kitchen.

"Oh, the greatest of mornings, dear Raven!"

Her roommate's thick accent echoed throughout the room, causing Raven to wince at the volume. Perhaps three drinks last night was pushing it. Though, they weren't exactly _her_ idea. But she wasn't thinking about that right now.

Kori stood before her, the former-model looking flawless, in spite of her sleep-filled eyes and mussed-up hair. She was dressed in a simple blue nightgown, her face slightly pink from scrubbing off her makeup - something Raven had neglected to do the night before. Yet, even as Kori stood there in the kitchen, wearing her pajamas and smiling innocently, it was apparent to Raven that the girl had only gotten home maybe half an hour prior.

Never one to beat around the bush, Raven gave her friend a tight frown. "You ditched me," she remarked bluntly.

A pink blush spread across Kori's freckled face, along with a guilty smile. "And I am so very sorry," she replied sincerely, before her smile morphed into an all-out grin, "but it was not for nothing, for I think I have found my soulmate!"

It took all of Raven's willpower not to roll her eyes. "Is that so?"

"Oh, indeed!" Kori continued, the mug of freshly brewed coffee forgotten on the counter as she excitedly bounded towards the smaller girl. "His name is Richard, and he is perfect and wonderful and everything I have ever wanted!"

But willpower wasn't enough, and Raven felt her eyes roll into the back of her head. "Really," she deadpanned. Kori had always been one for theatrics.

Obviously ignoring her roommate's lack of enthusiasm, the redhead pressed on. "I have never felt such a strong connection with another person," she mused, her eyelashes dreamily batting on their own accord. "We stayed up all night talking about, oh! About _everything_ , Raven! We have so much in common!"

Raven nodded slowly, her attention more focused on her roommate's coffee, rather than her words. Who knew that girl-talk was _not_ a hangover cure? Oh, right - _everyone_.

"That's awesome, Kori," she mused halfheartedly, before stepping around the redhead and towards the coffee maker. "You literally just met the guy, but I'm sure you guys will fall in love and be married by the holidays. You can honeymoon in Rome, or wherever it is that you're from."

She could hear her friend huff in amusement. "Must you always be so cynical?"

Raven almost smiled. "I prefer the term _realistic_ ," she corrected, before opening the cupboard and reaching for a mug. Setting the black cup in front of her, she slowly poured herself a fresh cup of coffee, her nose wrinkling at the overpowering aroma. She was more into _tea_ , really. But the pounding in her head called for the kind of caffeine that only coffee could supply.

"I, _too_ , am realistic, friend," Kori replied lightly.

Raven turned herself around to face her roommate, her brow arched.

"I _am!_ " the redhead insisted, before letting out a small, frustrated giggle. "Richard and I are _not_ planning a wedding - just a second date!"

This time, Raven allowed herself a small smirk. "Shocker."

But again, Kori was unfazed by her disinterest. "It will be this upcoming Friday! We will be going out to dinner, and then possibly catching a movie!" she enthused, her green eyes wide with excitement. "Richard said that he has connections at the Italian restaurant on the boardwalk."

Raven stared blankly at her roommate as she sipped on her coffee, unsure of why the redhead felt the need to _talk_ so much.

"I have not personally been there, but he has told me that it is very nice, and that we all will enjoy it." It was then that Kori's unwavering eye contact broke, causing Raven to frown as she replayed her friend's last statement.

"What do you mean by 'we all'?" she questioned slowly, her indigo eyes narrowing ever so slightly.

Kori's gaze remained averted while another guilty smile crept over her lips. "Well, I was hoping that perhaps _you_ would join us. It could be a... date of doubles."

Raven's grip tightened on her mug. "Well, Kor, last time I checked, I didn't _have_ a potential date," she replied curtly.

Again, Kori only smiled. "Yes, but that does not mean we cannot _find_ you one in time," she began hesitantly, her fingers nervously toying with the ends of her hair. "In fact, Richard's roommate is single, and I believe you met him last night - "

" _No_."

"But _Raven!_ " Kori cried, throwing herself towards the dark-haired girl. "It would mean so much to me!"

Raven backed away from the redhead. " _Hell_ no."

But Kori was relentless. "Oh, but your approval is so important to me! And we both know that I am not the best judge of character! You have said so yourself, on many occasions!" she continued, closing the distance between them once more as she gripped Raven's shoulders. "I need you to be there! Your glasses are not of the color rose, and you will see if his intentions are pure!"

A part of Raven agreed with her roommate's oddly-worded deduction: the redhead followed her heart, which didn't have the best sense of direction. But Raven, too, wasn't the best judge of character; after all, there was a stranger sleeping in her bed at that very moment.

"You're a big girl, Kor. I'm sure you can figure this all out for yourself," Raven deadpanned, giving up on her escape as her roommate's freshly manicured nails lightly dug into her shoulders.

"But... but..." Kori stuttered, her eyes frantically bouncing between Raven's as she racked her brain for another reason. "But Richard has already asked his roommate to join!"

For a brief moment, Raven felt her heart stop. Was the blond in her bed _not_ the roommate Kori was referring to? "...He has?"

Again, Kori's eyes darted away from Raven's: a telltale sign that the redhead was hiding something. "Um, yes," she replied warily. "Richard... asked him this morning, and he had confirmed his interest."

Raven couldn't stop herself from scowling at her best friend's blatant lie. And though a part of her wanted to call the redhead out, she knew that doing so would raise too many questions. That is, _if_ the blond was the roommate.

"What's his name?" Raven asked sharply.

Kori's grip loosened as she gave her friend a confused look. "Did he not introduce himself last night?"

Raven could feel the heat of a blush encompass her cheeks as she shrugged out from under the redhead's hold. "Well, I can't say I was paying him much attention," she snapped, somewhat truthfully. "I wasn't expecting to have a _date_ with him this Friday."

But at that, a large, blindingly white smile split Kori's face into two. "Does that mean you are accepting?" she questioned cheerfully.

Raven's face remained blank. " _Name_ ," she repeated monotonously, though it did nothing to extinguish her friend's excitement.

"I believe his name is Garfield!"

Raven fought the urge to face palm - how had she forgotten the name _Garfield?_

But before she could mentally berate herself, she realized that the blond in her bed _was_ the roommate that Kori was referring to, and that the redhead _had_ been lying. There was no way Richard had confirmed _anything_ with Garfield. After all, he was currently _in Raven's bed_.

"This... _Garfield_. He's already agreed?" Raven mused slowly.

Again, her roommate was unable to meet her gaze. "Um... yes. I-I believe so," she replied, unsure.

At that, Raven let out an exasperated sigh. Kori very rarely lied to her; the only times being when she wanted to pull Raven from her comfort zone. And though those times often lead to embarrassment and annoyance, Raven always forgave her. But still, lying was never _okay_.

But Kori finding out about Raven's little one-night-stand? Yeah, she could deal with a white lie or two.

"I'll think about it," Raven conceded, ignoring the petty part of her that wanted to call the girl out.

Another smile lit up her roommate's face as she attempted to pull Raven into a hug, but the smaller girl quickly held her mug between them.

"Hot beverage," she warned.

Kori continued to beam as her arms fell to her sides. "Oh, right!" she laughed, before motioning towards the forgotten cup on the counter. "I _had_ poured you this, as an apology of sorts," she admitted bashfully.

Raven eyed the mug, her brow arching at the beige liquid. "I'm not much for creamer," she deadpanned, before mentally chastising her comment. "But thanks, Kor. And I forgive you," she amended, giving her roommate a small, genuine smile. "It's not often you meet your soulmate."

Again, the redhead merely grinned, before a long, drawn-out yawn escaped her lips. "Yes, well, I am _exhausted_ ," she sighed happily, her footsteps leading her from the kitchen. "Richard and I stayed out all night, and I haven't had the chance to rest."

Raven rolled her eyes. "Get some sleep," she suggested dully, earning a snort of amusement from her friend.

"That is the plan," Kori called back, before rounding the corner and out of Raven's sight.

The dark-haired girl waited until she heard her roommate's door shut, all the while eyeing the peace-offering before her. Sure, she wasn't much of a creamer-with-a-splash-of-coffee person, but perhaps her unforeseen guest was? She needed to wake him, but it didn't have to be a _rude_ awakening, did it? After all, he had been incredibly nice to her last night. In many ways. _Many_ ways.

Resisting the urge to smack herself across the face, Raven snatched the second mug from off of the counter, before making her way back towards her room. Passing the cat tree, she made brief eye contact with Silkie, who seemed to be eyeing her smugly from atop his perch.

"Oh, fuck off," she mumbled, before twisting her doorknob with her wrist and slipping back into her bedroom.

Using her hip to close the door behind her, she was relieved to see that the blond - _Garfield_ \- was still sound asleep. In fact, it looked as if he hadn't moved an inch, and if it wasn't for his quiet snores, she would have assumed he was dead.

Cautiously moving towards him, Raven tried to come up with a game-plan. She needed to wake him up, that was a given. But she also needed to warn him about Friday, and how their supposed friends had dictated their plans. She was hoping he'd be as appalled by the thought as she was.

Gently placing her mug on the end table, she used her free hand to shake the blond awake.

"Hey, wake up," she whispered, her raspy voice cracking nervously as she tried to ignore the softness of his skin.

But Garfield didn't even stir.

Raven frowned, before shaking him a bit more forcefully. "Seriously. Wake up," she deadpanned, her voice a tiny bit louder.

His nose wrinkled at the volume, before another snore escaped his lips.

Raven huffed in frustration, her impatience only growing. "You just can't help but get on my nerves, can you?" she muttered bitterly, before lightly smacking the blond across the back of his head.

A snore caught in his throat as he gasped, his confusion apparent in the way he pushed himself up and twisted into a sitting position, his green eyes darting around the room all the while.

"Where-? H-how... Why?"

Raven's annoyance gave way to a blank expression as she watched her guest find his bearings.

Blinking rapidly, Garfield's bewildered gaze slowly met with hers, before his dreaded, toothy grin appeared.

"Holy shit, last night _actually_ happened?"

Despite her best efforts, the corner of Raven's mouth twitched upwards. His obvious infatuation with her was... flattering, to say the least. "Coffee?" she mused flatly, hoping to distract the blond from her treacherous lips. Or, at the very least, distract herself from _his_. Why was his mouth suddenly looking so... kissable?

Luckily, Garfield seemed to possess the attention span of a sparrow, and paid no mind to either of their mouths. " _Huh_?" was his intelligent reply, his green eyes falling towards the unassuming mug in her hands. "Oh, uh, sure!" he chirped, before reaching for the black ceramic. "Thanks."

 _Ugh_ , there was that stupid smile again.

Raven ignored the way his fingers brushed over hers as he took the mug from her hands, and instead silently berated herself as heat rushed to her face. What the hell did she have to be _embarrassed_ about? _He_ was the one that should be acting bashful; the way his disheveled hair fell across his forehead could only be described as sloppy, and his stupid, unwarranted grin only showcased his crooked teeth.

And sure, Raven knew _she_ was no sleeping-beauty, but at least she had had the foresight to comb her fingers through her hair. Not that she was trying to look nice for him or anything.

Idly swiping her mug from her bedside table, Raven gave her guest an expectant look, her eyebrow arching ever so slightly.

Still, Garfield only smiled. A moment of silence passed between them. Then another. And another.

Finally, realization dawned on her companion. "So, uh, I'm guessing you probably want me outta your hair, huh?" he mused sheepishly.

Raven's eyebrow rose higher in response.

Again, the blond grinned as he shook his head in amusement. "Right," he sighed, taking a slow, leisurely sip of his coffee, before scrunching his nose at the taste. "You went a little heavy on the creamer, but I appreciate the gesture."

Raven suppressed a snort. "That was Kori's doing," she admitted dully, allowing her eyes to quickly trace over the blond's torso while he was distracted by his beverage. _Definitely a gym-goer_ , she thought to herself, mentally tracing the contours of his abs. But before she could fully give in to her girlish desire of staring at him all day, the blond suddenly stiffened beneath her gaze. Quickly tearing her eyes from his body, she redirected her sights to his face.

It seemed it was now Garfield's turn to finally look embarrassed, and she watched as his cheeks turned bright red. "Uh...your roommate... made me coffee?"

Grateful that her ogling had gone unnoticed, Raven couldn't help but roll her eyes. "Of course not," she deadpanned. "She had made it for me, but I take my coffee plain. Kori has no idea you're here."

Garfield nodded slowly. "And... you wanna keep it that way?"

This time, Raven allowed herself a small smirk. "You're a quick one, aren't you?"

But it was then that his lazy, mischievous smile from the night before made an appearance. "I sure _hope_ not," he drawled, his eyebrows wiggling suggestively as he took another sip of coffee.

Raven tried not to gag - never had she met someone so insufferably _un_ funny. And she had been wanting to _kiss_ him a second ago? _Ugh._ "Don't," she warned simply.

Though, it seemed Garfield was relentless. "Aw, come on! That was a good one," he insisted, his innocent smile falling back into place.

But Raven remained stoic. "None of them have been good," she replied, somewhat truthfully. Sure, one or two of his 'lines' had caught her off guard, but he had yet to _actually_ amuse her.

Garfield's face fell at her comment, though she could still sense his amusement. "Gee, you're a lot meaner when I'm sober," he remarked teasingly.

Raven could only shrug. "So it would seem. You're still just as annoying, if that's any consolation," she bit back idly.

Again, Garfield's mirth was apparent, despite his frown. "Wow, Rae. You wound me."

Raven felt herself stiffen at the nickname, her eyes narrowing slightly. Only two people were allowed to call her that. "It's _Raven_ ," she corrected snappishly.

The blond's eyebrows rose at her slight outburst, though he wisely chose not to comment on it. "Um, okay. So, uh... this is the part where I sneak out or whatever, right?"

Raven almost snorted. "Ideally, yes."

But the blond still made no move to leave as he took another sip. "Is this creamer dairy free?" he inquired instead.

Raven hoped her confusion wasn't evident on her face, despite the way her brows tried to furrow together. "...Yes?" she answered slowly.

Her guest gave her another grin. "Oh, sweet! Are you vegan?"

Realizing that hiding her confusion was pointless, Raven frowned. "Milk alternatives have less calories..." she answered truthfully, before shaking her head. "Why does it..? Ugh, never mind. You were _leaving_ , remember?"

Garfield chuckled in response, the sound grating, yet somewhat welcomed. _Fuck,_ she _was_ going soft. "Right, right," he agreed, his head bobbing slightly as he took another drink. "Can I still borrow your phone? To call a cab, or whatever?"

Thankful for the change in subject, Raven nodded, making a move for her phone, before suddenly feeling self-conscious as the blond lazily watched her. Silently cursing herself for forgoing pants, she attempted to maneuver to the other side of her room as modestly as possible. But the way his green eyes glued themselves to her was making the task rather difficult.

Although, he wasn't watching her in a creepy, predatory way. It was with a curious, dazed sort of look. As if he was still unsure of whether or not he was really there. Again, Raven tried not to smile at the thought.

Instead, she focused on her dress from the night before, annoyed with herself that she had left it crumpled on the ground. Kneeling down, she hurriedly patted down the pockets, before releasing her cellphone from its cotton captor.

But as she pressed the lock button, she was greeted by the low battery symbol, before the device shut off completely.

"Oh, you have _got_ to be kidding me," she muttered bitterly.

Her bed squeaked behind her as the blond craned himself towards her. "What's up?"

Standing up, Raven spared her companion an irritated look. "It died," she replied blankly, before holding the phone towards him so that he could see it for himself.

Garfield _tsk_ -ed disapprovingly. "Ah, that sucks," he mused absently. "Do you got, like, a home-phone or something?"

Raven arched her brow. "Does _anyone?_ "

It was Garfield's turn to roll his eyes, though his smile remained in place. "Gee, Rae. I was just _asking_."

Again, Raven glared. "It's _Raven_ ," she hissed.

But the blond merely waved her off, before setting his mug on her bedside table. "Rae, Raven, whatever," he mumbled, gesturing behind her with a nod. "Wanna toss me my pants?"

It was then that the realization of her guest's lack of clothing hit her, and Raven was unable to turn around fast enough to conceal her blush. Thankfully, the blond made no mention of it.

Bending down once more, Raven again cursed herself for her lack of pants as she felt her shirt rise up her back. Snatching the worn denim from her floor, she hurriedly tossed the garment to the blond, before quickly shuffling towards her dresser. Keeping her eyes glued to the contents of her third drawer, she absently searched for pants as her companion dressed himself behind her.

"You got a computer or anything? Don't some companies have websites? I can order a cab online or something," he blabbered behind her, clearly content with the sound of his own voice.

Raven felt the vein in her forehead pulse dangerously as she settled on a pair of dark wash jeans. "How far away do you live?" she asked bluntly.

A moment of silence passed between them as the blond thought it over. "Uh, I'ma be honest... I'm not really sure where I am right now."

Turning back around, Raven tried to keep her expression placid. "What do you mean?"

The blond shrugged, a sheepish smile tugging at his lips as he nervously rubbed the back of his neck. Again, Raven mentally scolded herself as her eyes wandered down his bare torso. But at the sound of his voice, her eyes snapped back to his.

"Well, Dick drove last night, and then I just followed you here, and I guess I just don't know where 'here' is, you know?"

Raven continued to stare at her companion, idly wondering how someone so clueless could make it to adulthood. "Well, where is it you live?"

A pink blush spilled over the bridge of Garfield's nose. "Heh, uh... South Bay?" he answered bashfully.

Raven couldn't hide her surprise as her eyes widened slightly. South Bay was one of the nicer areas in Jump City, and though she was never one to judge a book by its cover, she hadn't pegged Garfield as someone... well, someone well-off. After all, he had been bumming it in a dive bar last night, dressed in a stained t-shirt and sneakers.

As if sensing her disbelief, the blond let out another chuckle. "Dick's kind of a trust-fund kid," he explained with a shrug.

Still, Raven found it difficult to hide her true feelings. Yeah, Kori had made a pretty penny back in Europe, and Raven never struggled financially while dancing, but a place in South Bay? No way would she be able to afford that on a ballerina's salary.

"What were the two of you doing on this side of town?" she queried, before mentally smacking herself for her bluntness. It wasn't like their side of town was _bad_ or anything. Just less uppity.

Luckily, Garfield only chuckled. "Heh, uh... I'm kinda banned from all the fun clubs," he answered honestly.

Raven found the revelation unsurprising.

"Plus," Garfield continued, his eyes absently darting around her bedroom, "a friend of ours told us that there were a lot of hot chicks on the north side."

Again, Raven tried not to smile. There was just something so... _endearing_ in the way the blond seemed enraptured by her. But instead of dwelling on why that thought both flattered and annoyed her, Raven let out an exasperated sigh. "So, South Bay, huh?"

The blond tilted his head in confusion. "Uh, yep?"

Steeling her resolve, Raven hurriedly slipped into her jeans. "I can give you a ride."

Though, it seemed her moment of kindness was not without consequence as her companion wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. "Oh, I _know_ you can."

* * *

The drive to his place was rather uneventful. He talked occasionally, but mainly when giving Raven directions. Otherwise, he had given up on his quest for small talk about two minutes in.

Raven was rather grateful.

Her main focus on the road, she attempted to sneak a glance or two at her charging cellphone beside her, though the device had yet to turn back on.

"Oh, have you been to the boardwalk recently? They redid the pier!"

Jumping slightly at the sound of his voice, Raven sent the blond a quick glare, before her eyes returned to the road. "I can't say I have," she deadpanned.

"Dude, it's so nice. I bet that's where Dick's gonna take your friend," he guessed, stretching his arms out before him like a cat. "Did she say anything about that? Kori, I mean. Did Dick ask her out?"

It was then that Raven remembered her conversation with the redhead, and all that it had entailed. Swallowing nervously, Raven glanced at her rear view mirror as she changed lanes. "He did."

"Ha! I can't believe it!" Garfield laughed. "Who would have thought wittle Richard would have the balls!"

Ignoring the blond's crude phrasing, Raven attempted to get back on track. "In fact," she continued, disregarding her companion's comment all together, "Kori said that they'll be going out this Friday." She paused for a moment, mentally preparing herself for what she needed to say. "That we'll _all_ be going out - "

"Oh! OH! Make a left! Right here!"

Slamming on her brakes, Raven quickly turned in the direction the blond was pointing. "I'd appreciate a little more _warning_ , next time," she snapped.

Garfield seemed unfazed by her annoyance. "Okay, it's the grey one here," he mused instead.

Slowing her black SUV to a crawl, Raven felt her mouth fall open slightly at the sight of the condo before her. It appeared to be two stories, and quite narrow, though the giant windows adorning the front made it look larger than it was. Its modern architecture was apparent, making it almost unwelcoming, despite its beauty. Pulling her vehicle up to the curb beside it, Raven concluded that she'd never afford a place like that on a dancer's salary, and that Kori would have to pose completely _nude_ to even make first month's rent.

"Home sweet home," Garfield muttered beside her, his embarrassment leaking into his voice.

Raven wasn't sure how to respond.

Sensing the sudden awkwardness, the blond cleared his throat. "Yeah, uh, it's technically Dick's stepdad's place, but he lives in Gotham most of the time, so we get to stay here rent-free. Just gotta pay the utilities, you know?"

Raven spared him another glance, ignoring the part of her that found his bashfulness endearing. "Heating must be expensive," she offered dully.

Garfield chuckled lightly as he unbuckled himself. "Tell me about it," he agreed, before locking eyes with Raven as his hand fiddled with the door handle. "It, uh... It looks like Dick isn't home."

The air suddenly filled with a tension so palpable, Raven could almost taste it. Once again finding her eyes drawn to his lips, she was only mildly surprised when she realized that the two of them were drawing closer to one another. Though, before Garfield could do or say anything else, Raven hurriedly pulled back and put the car in park.

"Any chance I could use your bathroom?" she inquired quickly.

Obviously taken aback by her question, the blond merely blinked at her. "Huh?"

Raven rolled her eyes, grateful that the tension was lessening. "Bathroom?" she repeated, somewhat impatiently.

"B-bath - Oh! Uh, yeah," he answered, opening the car door and stepping onto his yard. "Yeah, sure thing."

Nodding, Raven turned off her car completely, before pulling the keys from the ignition and unbuckling herself. She was kind of shocked by her question, though she knew her budding curiosity was something she couldn't ward off. Now was the perfect time to get a little in-tell on her roommate's future date - as well as her own, if she didn't work up the courage to warn him of the redhead's plans. Opening the driver's door, Raven stepped onto the road.

The condo appeared even larger as she followed the blond to the front door, though she neglected to comment on it. It seemed that Garfield was embarrassed by the whole situation; a sign that wealth must have made him uncomfortable.

Raven idly wondered why.

Though, before she could ponder over it further, she watched as Garfield swiped the spare key from under the mat, before unlocking the door.

"Bathroom's just down that way and to your - "

But Raven hurriedly ducked under his arm as she entered his home, her eyes sweeping over the living room curiously. Directly before her were the stairs, leading up to what she assumed were their bedrooms. To her left was an unused coat rack, housing a lone cobweb. To her right - well, it was apparent that two bachelors lived there.

The entire room screamed man-cave, the sunlight from outside entirely blocked out by dark, billowing curtains. A black, oversized couch was sat against the wall, with two even _more_ oversized bean-bag chairs sitting directly in front of it and facing the biggest TV Raven had ever seen. Below that was a small entertainment center, containing every gaming console to ever exist (or, so she assumed - she wasn't an expert on the matter).

Garfield shut the door behind them, effectively plunging them into darkness as the only source of sunlight was extinguished.

"Uh, like I was saying, bathroom's to the - "

But again, Raven cut him off as she walked past the living room and towards the kitchen. A part of her realized she was being rather rude, though she figured it was only fair. He had toured a bit of her home, hadn't he?

"Are you guys vampires or something?" she drawled, before absently flipping on the light switch beside her. The room before her lit up immediately, showcasing what appeared to be a large, somewhat cluttered kitchen. The smell of pizza lingered in the air. Nothing out of the ordinary.

"Too much light causes the worst glare on the TV - " Garfield began, before being interrupted _again_ as Raven brushed past him in her retreat from the kitchen.

"You said the bathroom was upstairs?" she mused innocently as she began her ascent.

Garfield trailed behind her. "I _didn't_ , actually," he replied, though it seemed he resigned himself to just following her.

Raven felt herself smirk. Reaching the top of the stairs, she found herself faced with three options: the door directly in front of her, the door down the hall to her immediate right, and the door to the right and slightly behind her.

"So, the _upstairs_ bathroom is _that_ one," Garfield informed her irritably as he stepped beside her, pointing towards the door down the hall.

Raven gave him a sideways glance as she shifted her expression into that of boredom. "Good to know," she replied simply, before reaching towards the door in front of them. Twisting the handle, she ignored the blond's exasperated sigh as she stepped into the room.

Despite the blackout curtains, she was able to discern that the bedroom was large and impeccably tidy. A queen sized bed was lain out before her, adorned with a simple grey bedspread and two black pillows. In the corner of the room sat a rack of weights. Nothing that screamed 'human-trafficker' or 'serial-killer'.

"Huh, wouldn't you know? This isn't the bathroom - this is _Dick's_ room," Garfield mused sarcastically, before reaching for the handle and pulling the door closed, effectively pushing Raven back into the hall.

Satisfied that her roommate's date was nothing more than a rich-kid, Raven opened her mouth to apologize, but was interrupted by the sound of the front door.

"Hey, Gar? You up yet?"

Sharing a look of horror with the blond, Raven allowed herself to be shoved into the room behind the third door - which, unsurprisingly, seemed to be Garfield's. Her nose was immediately attacked by the stench of feet, though she said nothing as her companion quietly shut the door behind them, before turning around to face her.

"I just wanna apologize for this ahead of time," the blond whispered.

Confused, Raven again attempted to speak, but was silenced as Garfield gently ushered her into his closet, where the smell of feet only grew stronger. Making a mental note to breathe through her mouth, Raven watched helplessly as the blond slid the accordion door closed, before kicking off his shoes and hopping into his bed.

Focusing on anything _but_ the smell attacking her nostrils, Raven watched as Garfield struggled to remove his shirt, before tossing it across the room. He then pulled his blanket over him, effectively blocking her view of his abs and causing her to blush at the disappointment she felt.

But the sound of the stairs creaking through the wall directly behind her was enough to distract her, and she felt her heart rate quicken. The _last_ thing she needed was for the roommate to catch her in the blond's bedroom.

Raven held her breath as Garfield's bedroom door creaked open. "Gar? Dude, you awake?"

Despite the closet door only giving her a partial view, Raven immediately recognized Dick as he stepped into the room. Kori had been eyeing him all night, and had been beyond thrilled when he had finally mustered up the courage to approach her. After all, he was just 'so very attractive' - at least, according to Kori. And though Raven was loathed to admit it, she had found the guy rather handsome, too.

Even though she thought Garfield was a lot cuter.

But as the thought entered her mind, Raven's eyes widened. _Oh_ , she did _not_ just think that.

"Gar?" Dick continued, his calm voice tearing Raven from her inner turmoil. Watching with bated breath as the blond's roommate approached him, she idly wondered how she was going to get herself out of this mess.

"Huh?" Garfield muttered suddenly, his voice forcibly groggy. "Oh, hey. What's up?"

Raven watched as the roommate stiffened slightly, seemingly taken aback by how easy it had been to wake the blond. Though, it seemed he decided not to dwell on it. "Hey, sorry for ditching you last night - I tried to text you, but - "

"I left my phone in your car," Garfield finished, sitting himself up in his bed. Again, Raven's face felt hot at the sight of his muscular torso, though she felt no shame in staring at him. After all, it wasn't like he could see her.

"Yeah, I realized that," Dick chuckled, before reaching into his pocket and pulling out a cellphone. "I figured you'd probably want it back." He then tossed the device to the blond, who effortlessly caught it.

"Yeah, I probably got a million missed calls from all the ladies," Garfield drawled, though he made no attempt to check his phone, and instead set it to his side.

Again, Dick merely laughed at the blond's reply. "My bad," he remarked lightly, before dropping a metaphorical bomb with his next question. "How'd you end up getting home?"

Raven's breath hitched as she watched Garfield stiffen, and nearly five seconds of silence stretched between the two guys, before his toothy grin made an appearance.

"Huh? Oh, uh, that girl called me a cab," he lied.

Slightly offended by being referred to as ' _that girl_ ', Raven had half a mind to make her presence known. Thankfully, Dick seemed to have other ideas.

"Who, Kori's roommate?" he queried.

Raven bit her lip as Garfield blinked in response. "Uh... Kori's the redhead, yeah?"

He wasn't half-bad at playing dumb, though she figured he had a lot of practice.

"Yeah, and that girl she was with was her roommate," Dick confirmed.

Raven rolled her eyes at ' _that girl_ ' - she had a _name_.

"The, uh, the pale one?"

Again, Raven took offense. She wasn't _that_ pale.

"The girl Kori was with," Dick repeated impatiently. "The one you said you'd talk to? You know, when you offered to be my wingman?"

Raven felt her eyes narrow as she caught sight of the guilty look Garfield sent her way. "Oh, uh... _that_ girl."

 _Really?_ Raven suppressed a growl, her hands balling into fists.

"How'd that go, anyway?" Dick questioned, his calm voice laced with a hint of curiosity.

Raven watched as a light blush spread across the blond's face. "Um, about as well as you'd expect..." he answered.

"'Cuz, well, Kori and I were thinking..." Dick began, obviously disinterested in the authenticity of Garfield's reply, "since the two of us got along pretty well, we'd like to get to know each other better. So, we're planning on going out this Friday."

 _Oh no_ , Raven thought, her eyes closing in frustration. She hadn't had the chance to properly warn Garfield...

"And you know how girls get kinda weird about strangers or whatever," Dick continued casually, earning a snort of amusement from the blond.

"Stranger danger," Garfield muttered to himself.

"Yeah, exactly," his roommate agreed. "Well, anyway, Kori suggested making Friday a group thing. Me, you, and her and her roommate."

Peeking her eyes open, Raven wasn't surprised to see the shocked expression on the blond's face.

"A g-group thing?" he repeated, his gaze lingering on his closet door for a moment, before snapping back to Dick. "You mean, like a, uh, a double date?"

Raven scowled.

"Yeah," Dick confirmed, shrugging. "You said that she was hot, so I figured you'd be on board."

Again, Raven felt slightly flattered, and she nearly smiled as she watched the blond turn even redder.

"Heh, well... I mean - " he began, but was interrupted as his roommate continued.

"And Kori just texted me a few minutes ago that her roommate's on board, too."

Raven's smile dropped, along with her stomach.

Garfield looked to be in a state of shock; his eyes wide and mouth agape. He was staring at Dick blankly, before briefly setting his sights on the closet. Raven stared back, her expression mirroring his, though he obviously didn't know that. Again, Raven had to resist the urge to spring from the closet and set the other guy straight.

"H-her... She's... she's..." Words seemed to have escaped Garfield as he redirected his sights towards his friend. "Her roommate... she's... on board?"

 _No_ , Raven growled internally.

"According to Kori," Dick answered simply.

Closing her eyes, Raven attempted to keep her cool. Either Dick was lying through his perfect teeth, or Kori had supplied him with _false_ information. Though, despite her tall friend telling tall tales, no harm had been done. At least, not _yet_. Not unless the blond... _agreed_.

She shuddered at the thought.

Reopening her eyes, Raven silently pleaded with Garfield. _Say no. That you weren't feeling it. That I'm a bitch. That I'm not your type. Say_ anything - _anything besides -_

"Um, I mean... I guess?"

Raven mentally cursed the blond - how could he be so clueless?

"But, uh, only if she's like, _on board_ on board, you know?" Garfield continued, as if finally sensing Raven's mental pleas. "Not just 'cuz she's doing her friend a solid, or whatever."

Raven smirked - that was _exactly_ what she told Kori; that she'd think about it, and only because her friend asked her to.

Unfortunately, it seemed that part had been lost in translation. "Nah, Kori said she was pretty into the idea," Dick countered casually.

She most certainly was _not!_ Raven's eyes narrowed as the blond shot another glance in her direction. "Uh, I'm finding that kinda hard to believe," he answered honestly.

A part of Raven almost felt bad. _Almost_.

"Why? You guys talked for a bit, didn't you?" Dick queried.

A shy chuckle escaped Garfield's lips. "I mean, I talked _at_ her," he replied, before shaking his head. "Believe me, dude. Raven is _not_ into the idea."

In spite of the truth the blond was speaking, Dick seemed to perk up at his roommate's last statement. "Raven, huh? She told you her name?"

 _Oh no_ , Raven thought, her mind racing through every possible scenario to silence what was about to be said. But aside from blowing her cover, she was left with no other options, and could only shake her head in defeat.

"...Yeah?" Garfield answered warily.

Raven watched as Dick crossed his arms smugly. "Kori said that her roommate _never_ gives out her name," he explained nonchalantly. "Unless..."

 _Unless I'm interested_ , Raven finished internally, before letting out a hushed sigh. Using her fingers to gently rub her temples, she tried to remember _why_ she had even divulged that information to the redhead in the first place.

"Just think about it, okay?" Dick continued, seemingly satisfied with the point he made.

Garfield still looked to be in a state of shock, and only nodded in reply as his roommate slipped out of the room. A moment of silenced passed. And then another. Finally, the blond groaned, and Raven watched as he slowly pulled himself out of his bed, before dragging his feet towards the door. Hearing the sound of his lock clicking into place, Raven sighed, taking a moment to gather her courage.

Hesitantly sliding open his closet door, she felt her heart rate quicken as the blond turned to face her.

"I... tried to warn you earlier," she deadpanned, cursing herself again as her face flushed.

Garfield nodded in reply, his expression surprisingly thoughtful.

Raven wasn't sure if the look suited him.

"Kori's relentless," she added, slowly stepping out of the closet and into the room. "She just wouldn't take no for an answer, and I just..."

Again, Garfield only nodded, before a large, teasing grin split his face into two. "You just... _agreed?_ Wow, Rae - looks like your plan to avoid a double date didn't work."

Raven couldn't help but frown. " _Relentless_ ," she repeated quietly, ignoring the nickname. There were more important things to be upset about at the moment.

Like, for instance, the way the blond was smiling at her. _That_ was fairly upsetting.

"You told me your name," Garfield mused, taking a small step towards her.

Raven rolled her eyes, embarrassed. "You told your friend I was hot," she bit back.

But it seemed that Garfield held no qualms over that secret getting out. "Well, you _are_ hot," he shrugged.

Again, Raven blushed, before stepping further into the room. Thankfully, the feet-smell wasn't as strong by his bed. Giving his forest green comforter a look of disdain, Raven delicately sat on the edge of his bed, crossing her arms. "Your roommate's going to sleep now, right?" she questioned, knowing that Dick must have gotten as much sleep as Kori had - which was _none_ , apparently.

The smile had yet to fully leave the blond's face, though it was no longer as taunting as he sat beside her. "You would think that, but I've seen that guy stay up 72 hours straight - I'm pretty sure he bleeds caffeine."

Raven snorted at the thought, before realizing that she had basically just laughed at one of Garfield's jokes. Quickly dropping her smile into a blank expression, she spared her companion a sideways glance.

He hadn't seemed to realize what had happened, and was instead fiddling with his phone. Her eyes trailing towards his lips once again, Raven suppressed a growl. What was _with_ her?

"Heh, uh... So, I have a phone now," he began awkwardly, pulling her from her thoughts.

Sneaking a peek at the time on his screen, Raven sighed. It was nearly 11 o'clock. She had spent her entire morning with the blond, but had only gotten grief out of it.

Oh, and a fucking _date_.

Huffing in exasperation, Raven casually snatched the phone out of her companion's hands, before tossing it on the bed behind her. She deserved _more_ than just a date, honestly.

"Hey! Why'd you - " But Garfield was unable to finish, for his lips were suddenly preoccupied with hers.

She apparently caught him by surprise, as it took him a good three seconds to respond. But, once his brain caught up to his body, Raven found that her irritatingly persistent desire to kiss him again was _very_ much mutual.

Pushing the blond onto his back, Raven shifted herself on top of him. His kisses weren't as sloppy when he was sober, though they still caused her veins to burn with excitement. Goosebumps enveloped her entire being as his hands slipped around her waist, pulling her closer. His palms were clammy against her skin, though she found it somewhat endearing. How he could be the perfect mixture of confident and nervous - she'd never know.

Her own hands finding residence in his hair, she gently tousled his short, blond locks, earning a slow, pained moan in the process. Biting back a laugh, she slowly moved her hips against his, relishing in the way his body responded.

His hands cautiously moved lower, before he hooked his thumbs into the waistband of her jeans. Shifting her body weight forward, she allowed him to tug off her pants, the crisp air in his room only prolonging the goosebumps on her skin. Breaking the kiss, she shifted herself back into his lap as she sat up, before pulling off her shirt and tossing it to the floor.

He was staring at her with the dazed, wide-eyed look from the night before, though this time, Raven decided not to tease him. Instead, she reveled in the way his admiration made her feel; like she was some beautiful, mythical being. Like she was someone to want; someone who was desired.

Like _she_ was the hot one, for once.

Placing her hands on the waistband of his jeans, she quickly undid the fly, eager to feel him inside of her again. Sure, maybe Kori had found her soulmate last night. But Raven?

Raven found a really good fuck buddy.

Allowing Garfield to flip her onto her back, she watched as he quickly removed his pants, before reaching for his night stand and shuffling through the drawer. She absently wondered if she should mention being on birth control, before deciding against it. Sure, he looked innocent enough - but getting an STD or something was _so_ not on her agenda. So, letting him search for a condom was probably her best bet.

Seeing how her companion was preoccupied, she took the opportunity to quickly remove her underwear, glancing around his room all the while. It was just as dark as the rest of his home, though not as modern in decor. His furniture was mismatched and worn, with various knickknacks strewn about. His clothes littered the floor, cluing Raven in to why his room smelt like dirty laundry. But, before she could continue to silently judge him, he suddenly recaptured her lips with his own.

Cursing herself for not kissing him when she first felt the impulse, Raven allowed herself to melt into his mattress as his fingertips trailed up her side. Chills ran down her spine as he cupped her breast, and she nearly cried out when his lips left hers.

Opening her eyes, she was greeted by a small, confused smile as Garfield stared back at her, his expression thoughtful once more.

"I still can't tell Dick about this, huh?" he mused bashfully.

 _That's_ what he was thinking about? Raven rolled her eyes, before giving him a pointed look. "You can't tell _anyone_ about this," she informed him dryly.

His face fell slightly, though after a moment, a devious smirk crept across his lips. "Okay, but can I tell _you_..." he paused for a second, undoubtedly in what he hoped to be dramatic effect, "...a joke?"

Raven was predictable. She was practical.

She was probably going to kill him.

* * *

 **Ughhhh so this is probably going to become a multi-chapter story because these two are just so fun to write and the AU aspect is challenging in like a really fun way and I have so many ideas on where to take this and _ughhh._ Congrats, you guys. You wore me down. **

**And you _better_ enjoy this lmao**

 **Please leave a review! This took forever to write, and I really hope it'll get a positive response! And, for future reference, the upcoming chapters probably won't be as long - who knew that more words = more time writing? Wack**


	3. Chapter 3

Wincing, Garfield deduced that he had opened the passenger door a little too vigorously as he hastily pulled it back, the sleek silver contraption merely centimeters away from denting the black SUV parked beside them.

"Watch it, man!" a deep voice directly next to him chastised, the owner of said voice sending the blond a sharp glare. "I'm still paying this baby off."

Garfield smiled sheepishly as he directed his sights towards his companion. "Sorry, Vic," he laughed, before stepping onto the pavement and hesitantly squeezing between the two cars. It wasn't _his_ fault that his friend had parked his beloved 'baby' so closely to the SUV, though he decided not to point that out. Shutting the door behind him, the blond idly inspected his teeth in the tinted windows of the vehicle he nearly dinged.

"If you dented that car, you'd have hell to pay," his best friend Victor warned belatedly, as he, too, exited his car. "And not just from me."

Tearing his eyes from his reflection, Garfield gave his friend an innocent shrug. "I didn't dent _anything_ ," he insisted cheekily, though his green eyes did dart back to the SUV momentarily - just to make sure. " _Almost_ isn't enough for a lecture, dude."

Still, his friend looked less-than amused. "You and I both know that most of the things you do require a lecture."

Garfield scoffed good-naturedly. "Thanks, _Mom_."

His response earned him a chuckle from Victor, the man's white teeth blinding in comparison to his ebony skin. "Come on, Grass Stain," he laughed heartily, Garfield unable to help himself from rolling his eyes at his old, no-longer relevant nickname, "My lunch break is basically over."

Following after his friend, the blond sneaked one last look at his reflection in the window of the SUV. A strange, familiar feeling was prodding at his senses, though he came up with no reason for it and quickly shook the thought away.

* * *

Vic had his own office.

Sure, it was almost too small for the large man, and smelt faintly of beef, but it was still his _own_ office. It had a door, and its own window, and enough space for a desk, a swivel chair, and a large armchair that was bordering on being an outright couch.

Aaaand it was _his own office_.

Needless to say, Garfield was kinda jealous as he sunk into said couch-chair, his eyes tracing over the mahogany desk before him. Victor was a moderately successful car-salesman for a very prestigious dealership - earning himself the title of _Head of Sales_ , as well as a swanky office.

And yeah, Garfield was only a waiter, and being a waiter didn't really require his own office space, nor did it require anything more than a small locker, but he couldn't help but be a bit envious as he watched his best friend lean back in the swivel chair and prop his feet onto the desk.

Maybe he shouldn't have taken that gap year after getting his bachelor's degree? Maybe then he'd have an _actual_ job and get his _own_ office.

"Man, you can never go wrong with pizza," Victor surmised, a satisfied smile spreading over his mouth as he reminisced on their lunch, while also derailing the blond's train of thought.

Garfield nodded in agreement, absently licking his lips and savoring the remaining taste of extra cheese and mushrooms. Despite having said food almost every other day, he hadn't yet tired of it. "Especially from Pop's."

Victor grinned. "Oh, yeah - triple meat supreme with peppers and onions," he sighed, earning a huff of annoyance from the blond.

"Please, murder and pizza is a terrible combo," Garfield argued semi-seriously, before feeling his lips tug into a smirk. "But I can't fault you for the peppers and onions."

Though, before they could continue their conversation on why the Italian-esque pie was timeless, a quiet knock sounded from the door.

"Ms. Sims called while you were out," a raspy, oddly-familiar voice announced from behind the blond. "She was inquiring about the - Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't realize you were with a..."

Garfield practically gave himself whiplash as he turned to face the woman behind him, and her words effectively died in her throat as her indigo eyes met with his.

Though, only the slightest look of shock passed over her delicate features, before she unsurprisingly regained her composure. "...a client," Raven finished calmly.

Unable to find his voice, Garfield merely blinked at her. Sure, he was hoping to see her again, but he hadn't expected to see her at Victor's work, of all places. Though, as his eyes trailed down her form, memorizing her fitted maroon blouse and sleek black pencil skirt, he realized that it wasn't just _Victor's_ workplace. Man, he _really_ needed to finish his degree.

Luckily, a scoff from his friend broke what had nearly become an awkward silence as Garfield's gaze lingered on Raven's legs. "Psh, _please_. Gar ain't no client," he corrected cheerfully, entirely oblivious to the sudden tension in the room. "Who called?" he queried instead.

Raven maintained her professionalism, despite the tight line her mouth formed. "Ms. Sims," she repeated, briefly making eye contact with Garfield as he finally tore his eyes from her body, before redirecting her gaze to Vic.

The blond continued to gape at her, his mind unwilling to control the muscles in his face as his jaw hung limply from its hinges.

Raven's answer was met with silence, causing her to roll her eyes in an all-too familiar way. "Sara?" she elaborated, her brow arching. But, when that still wasn't enough to jog Victor's memory, she continued. "Cute blonde, red sedan."

Vic's laughter finally pulled Garfield back into reality, the blond's head whipping towards his friend at the sound of the swivel chair creaking.

" _Sara_ ," Victor practically purred, rubbing his hands together deviously as he stood from his desk. "Her number in her file?"

"On Beatrice's desk," Raven answered flatly.

"Guess I'll give her a call," he grinned, before his eyes met Garfield's. "I shouldn't be too long, but feel free to wander," he suggested lightly.

Also standing from his chair, the blond nodded - his voice still absent. The thought of waiting around in Victor's beef-scented office was... unappealing, to say the least. His eyes falling towards Raven once again, he watched as she stepped to the side, allowing Victor to pass through the doorway.

Their gazes locked for a moment, before Raven turned on her heel and hurried in the opposite direction of where her coworker had gone.

His curiosity outweighing his common sense, Garfield impulsively followed after her.

"You work here?" he asked awkwardly, finally finding his voice as he caught up to her. For someone on the smaller side, she was surprisingly quick. Must have been the mile-long legs.

"Observant, aren't you," she deadpanned, staring straight ahead - doing her best to avoid meeting his gaze, he guessed.

Garfield couldn't stop himself from grinning; he knew that they were going to see each other again (thanks to Kori, _bless her_ ), but he had neglected to get her number after their quickie in his bed that Sunday. The way she had practically jumped him had prevented him from having any coherent thoughts, and he hadn't even thought of asking for it until later that evening, when it was no longer an option. He had then resigned himself to waiting until Friday. But it was now Wednesday - two days sooner than he had expected to see her again, though he wasn't complaining. Perhaps fate was on his side?

"You're friends with Victor, I take it?" she questioned casually, her pace slowing when it became apparent that she couldn't shake him.

Garfield felt his grin grow. "Observant," he teased, throwing her sarcasm back at her, though she didn't react. Bummer - he kinda liked when she got all snippy. "You his secretary?" he mused instead, his eyes scoping out their surroundings. She was walking further into the building, leading them away from the sales floor.

She scoffed at his question, seemingly offended. "First of all, they're called _receptionists_ here," she corrected briskly, before sharply turning down another hall.

Garfield clumsily followed after her.

"And _second_ ," she continued, nodding at a coworker in acknowledgement as they passed each other, "I happened to be taking a late lunch today, and merely offered to have Victor's calls transferred to me until he returned from his own lunch. Administrative assistance is a bit below my pay-grade," she added defensively.

Again, Garfield's eyes wandered over her outfit as they came to a stop; she was certainly _dressed_ for the part of sexy-secretary. Her pale legs were slightly obscured by the nylons she was wearing, though the high-heels on her feet made her limbs look exceptionally long. A part of him absently wondered if he had always been a leg-guy, or if Raven had just brought it out of him.

"Huh," he replied dismissively, somewhat surprised by his lack of nerves. He was usually a bumbling mess when in the presence of a cute girl, but the fact that he had already slept with Raven ( _twice!_ ) gave him a slight boost of confidence. It wasn't like he needed to impress her or anything.

"When Victor suggested for you to wander, I don't think he meant to do so with just your _eyes_ ," she sneered. It seemed she had finally decided to look at him, only to find that he wasn't really focusing on her _face_.

His gaze snapping up to meet hers, he gave her a sheepish grin. "Sorry," he replied, shrugging. "...Kinda."

Raven rolled her eyes at him, a small blush spreading over her cheeks. "You're such a... _ugh_ ," she muttered, apparently deciding against insulting him as she gave him another pointed look. "As much fun as this _isn't_ , I'm gonna have to cut our little reunion short," she announced.

Garfield still couldn't find the sense to stop grinning - the fact that his presence alone was riling her up this much was absolutely incredible. He always had a sick fascination with getting under people's skin, and Raven - despite being intimidatingly hot - was no exception.

"Why?" he asked innocently, causing his companion's eyes to widen at the unexpected response.

" _Why_?" she repeated, obviously taken aback. It took her a moment to collect her thoughts - something that seemed to throw the primarily-stoic girl off even more. "Because I... have stuff to do. Work. I'm at work."

He wondered if he was making her flustered - she was usually more eloquent.

"Don't you need to take a lunch?" he pressed, his eyebrows arching.

Raven regarded him blankly, before narrowing her eyes. "If you're asking me out - " she began, but the blond hurriedly cut her off.

"No, no - I'm not!" he insisted, waving his hands before him as his nerves finally found their way to the surface. It was one thing to flirt with Raven - but to try and ask her _out?_ Yeah, he wasn't _crazy_. "You literally just said you were taking a late lunch," he continued frantically. "Like, _literally_ just said it."

Still, she continued to observe him warily, the blush on her face glowing brighter.

"Then you implied you needed to work and I was just calling you out on your excuse 'cuz it's obvious you're just trying to get rid of me," Garfield finished all in one breath, before sending her another grin.

The red in her cheeks slowly diminished, though her glare was unwavering. "So... take the hint?" she offered, quirking a brow.

Garfield chuckled in response. "Nah, I'm stubborn - remember?"

That earned him another eye-roll, though he found he was quickly coveting the reaction. "You're also incredibly annoying," she added flatly, before turning towards the door they were standing in front of and twisting the knob.

His eyes scanning over the name-plate bolted on the chestnut surface, he found himself biting back a gasp as he read the inscription.

 _Raven Roth - Director of Marketing and Advertising_

Yeah, administrative assistant was _definitely_ below her pay-grade.

"You got your own office?" he wondered aloud, neglecting to hide his awe as he followed her into the room.

It was about twice the size of Victor's, though much darker, seeing how the floor-to-ceiling windows were covered by thick, navy curtains. A large, black desk sat directly in front of him, with two modest, navy-blue armchairs facing it. Behind the desk was a swivel-chair similar to Victor's. Though, unlike his friend's office and the blank walls surrounding it, Raven's was covered in various paintings and photographs, with several bookshelves spaced throughout. In fact, it was kinda similar to her bedroom - books were everywhere.

At least, he was pretty _sure_ she had had a lot of bookshelves in her room. When he had been in there, he hadn't really been focused on the _decor_.

"Nothing gets past you," she drawled, seemingly unbothered by his continued presence as he followed her further into her office.

Garfield shook his head fondly, his eyes curiously scanning the room, before focusing in on her form once again.

Why was business-casual so fucking _hot?_

"This is a pretty neat setup you got here," he mused lightheartedly, referring to the room they were in, despite the way his eyes wandered over her body. In all of the porn - er, ahem, _movies_ \- Garfield had watched involving sexy-secretaries, the busty women were always dressed somewhat similarly to Raven, but in clothes that were obviously too small - his companion's attire, on the other hand, was fitted to her perfectly. They also always had their impossibly long hair pulled back, in either a bun or low-ponytail. But Raven's short black locks were unrestrained; her hair brushing her shoulders freely whenever she moved her head.

Somehow the casual, effortless feel to it made her ensemble even _hotter_.

"It's tight, but temporary," she replied loftily, before leaning over her desk and jotting something down on the notepad atop it.

Garfield shamelessly stared at her ass all the while, before her comment finally filtered through the fog in his brain.

"Temporary?"

Raven glanced at him from over her shoulder. "I'm being promoted," she answered simply, before directing her attention back to her notepad (and apparently choosing to ignore him blatantly checking her out - not that he was complaining).

"Beautiful _and_ smart," he surmised, but as he watched her stiffen at the comment, he felt like smacking himself across the face. "Uh, heh, I m-mean - "

But Raven merely held up her hand, effectively silencing him.

For a moment.

"A promotion, huh?" he repeated, before letting out a low whistle as he began to walk the perimeter of her office. "You must be good at your job," he offered simply.

"Great at it, actually," was her quick reply.

He let out a snort at her confidence, continuing to idly circle around the room. Glancing at the pictures on her walls, he wasn't surprised to find that most were stock-photos of various places. Though, looking closer at the one depicting two girls standing in front of the Eiffle Tower, he realized that he _may_ have jumped to conclusions. "Is this you and your roommate?"

"Mm hmm," she hummed, not even bothering to look up.

Casting her a sideways glance, he suddenly found it hard to swallow. He had successfully made it to the other side of the room - despite his roundabout way - and was now standing behind her desk. Raven was still leaning over, absently brushing her hair behind her ear as it fell into her face. She was scribbling down something in tiny, neat handwriting, entirely oblivious to the blushing blond across from her.

Garfield's eyes darted between the quiet, dutiful woman before him, and the picture that sat on the woman's desk.

It was of Raven - that much was obvious. And it had been professionally taken; the lighting far too perfect to have been a coincidence. She was standing in some ballet pose (en pointe, maybe?), dressed in a black leotard with her much longer hair cascading over her shoulders. Beside her was another girl, her face obscured slightly, but the height and build made it apparent that the girl was none other than Kori (although the black and white photo made her hair color undecipherable). She was also doing some ballet pose, though it didn't come as natural to her as it did to Raven, who looked so utterly serene and elegant.

But that wasn't what caused him to suddenly feel so flustered.

No, the photograph was undeniably beautiful, and the two girls were unquestionably stunning, but what _really_ caught Garfield's eye were the words written beneath them.

 _Super Twinkle Donkey Gum_

...and then something in Japanese.

"I knew you were a model!" Garfield exclaimed, ignoring the way his companion jumped as he snatched the framed photo from off of her desk.

"Excuse me?" Raven retorted, her brows furrowing as she gazed up at him.

Garfield felt a satisfied smirk tug at his lips as he turned the damning photograph towards her. " _You_. A _model_ ," he repeated, using his free hand to point at her and the ad, respectively.

Realization dawned on her slowly, before she shook her head and resumed her note-taking. "I _modeled_ for one stupid bubblegum company in Japan," she explained simply. "It's how I met Kori, in fact. But that doesn't mean I'm a _model_."

The smallest hint of a blush danced over her cheeks, though Garfield wisely chose not to bring attention to it - he was far too excited to tease her at the moment.

"Stupid..? That gum is the _best!_ " he enthused instead, turning the picture back towards him. "Gelatin-free _and_ long-lasting? God, I swallowed so much of this shit, I probably have a good three pounds of it sitting in my stomach!"

Raven scoffed. "That's a myth, you know."

But Garfield could only wave her off as he gently set the picture frame back onto her desk. "How come I never saw this ad?" he queried, genuinely curious. "I totally would have remembered hot ballerinas."

Again, Raven seemed rather flustered when he complimented her appearance, though she recovered quickly. "It's from _years_ ago, and only really ran in Japan," she answered with a shrug. "There was some stupid pun involved, but it didn't translate well in English."

Garfield frowned at that. "Aw, that sucks. I freaking love puns."

"Figures. I _did_ say it was stupid, didn't I?" she mused nonchalantly.

Half of him wanted to be offended by her slight jab, while the other half fought back an appreciative chuckle. "Careful, Rae. If you keep being this nice to me, I might get the wrong impression."

He hadn't expected her to throw the notepad at his head, though he was mildly impressed by her aim.

" _Ow!_ What the fuck, dude?"

His eyes locked with hers, and despite her seemingly blank expression, he could see the slightest twitch of her lips. "Don't call me Rae," she demanded dryly, before tilting her head to the side in thought. "Or dude."

Garfield rolled his eyes at that, gingerly rubbing his forehead. "I call everyone dude, dude."

This time, she threw her pen, though he had the foresight to shield his face.

"Gah! Why are you so _violent?_ "

A cross between a sigh and a scoff escaped the pale girl before him, causing Garfield's heart to leap in his chest. Had... had she almost _laughed?_

"I think it's safe to say that you've outstayed your welcome," Raven announced tersely, despite the ghost of a smirk that lingered on her lips. She motioned towards her open door with the nod of her head, before maneuvering around her desk. Squeezing past her, the blond reluctantly made his way towards the exit. Aside from the random objects and insults being hurled at him, he was kind of enjoying her company. A part of him really wanted to stay, even if it annoyed her. Hell, _especially_ if it annoyed her. And yet... although he didn't know her well, he knew he probably shouldn't push her.

But as he reached the door, he was reminded of his earlier regret at not getting her number, and swiftly turned around. "Oh, um, Raven?" he asked semi-awkwardly, unsure of how to go about asking for it without sounding like a total loser.

She glanced towards him curiously, having already retrieved her notepad and pen from the floor. "What?"

He could feel himself beginning to freeze up, having never been any good at this sort of thing. Reaching beside him, he absently fiddled with the knob of the ajar door. "I was just... I was wondering... Um, I thought that maybe, uh..."

Okay, he wasn't just _not_ good - he was fucking _terrible_.

"Heh, uh, never mind," he relented, before sending her a forced grin. "See ya Friday?"

A look of horror passed over Raven's features, before her eyes narrowed into a glare. "Shut my door and lower your voice," she hissed.

Garfield gulped audibly, and was about to comply, but hesitated when a conflicting thought struck him. "Like, with me in the room or..?"

Raven's glare only intensified. "Just shut my door and come here," she ordered sharply, her voice barely above a whisper.

The blond happily obliged, closing the door behind him as he stepped further into the room. "What'd I do?"

Raven used her fingertips to rub slow circles against her temples, her eyes closed. "Nothing," she admitted, before letting out a huff of frustration. "I just... I would appreciate it if we kept any talk about Friday... to ourselves."

It was Garfield's turn to roll his eyes, though the action wasn't from exasperation. "So you _haven't_ figured out how to weasel your way out of it?" he teased.

This earned him another pointed look. "There's no way in hell Kori will let me talk my way out of it," she confessed begrudgingly, before her face adopted a thoughtful expression. "But... _you_ could always cancel."

Garfield's eyebrows joined his hairline at her suggestion. "I _could_ ," he agreed playfully. " _Buuuut_..."

Raven looked downright pitiful. "Please? I'll owe you," she pleaded, her eyes searching his for something other than amusement.

Still, the blond couldn't hide his mirth. "Maybe I'm looking forward to seeing you again," he mused, shrugging casually while sauntering towards her. "You're kinda cool, when you're not throwing shit at me."

Her lips twitched slightly, though he wasn't sure if she was fighting back a frown or a smirk.

"I'll have sex with you again," she blurted, her face flushing as the words left her mouth. "I-if you cancel."

A moment of silence passed between them, until Garfield could no longer hold in his laughter. "Y-you'll..." he wheezed, practically bending over as he attempted to catch his breath, but only succeeding in laughing harder. "You'll have... Oh my _god_ , oh wow..." He could feel tears threatening to stream down his face, but at the sight of Raven's dejected pout, he attempted to rein himself in. "I'm sorry," he grinned, his eyes dancing between hers, "but did you really just offer _sex_ in exchange for me cancelling?"

His companion sheepishly avoided his gaze while absently chewing on her bottom lip. "...I don't _do_ double dates," she defended weakly.

Garfield couldn't help himself. "Nah, you just do random blond guys," he replied, his hand casually mussing up his already-askew hair.

Raven groaned in exasperation. "You know what - never mind," she decided snappishly, her palms slapping against her desk and causing Garfield to jump. "I'd rather suffer through shitty Italian food than fuck you again."

Garfield held his hand to his heart, feigning offence. "Hey!" he exclaimed, before a wave of _actual_ offense washed over him. "I work there," he protested halfheartedly.

His response apparently took Raven by surprise. "...You do?"

He could feel an embarrassed blush creep its way down his neck. "Uh, yeah," he admitted, his eyes avoiding hers as he glanced around the room. Like he had said - being a waiter never helped him get laid.

"It's not, like, _shitty_ shitty," Raven amended awkwardly, the monotonous sound of her voice unfit for apologizing. "It's just... well, when you've had the real thing..." she trailed off.

Garfield shrugged, hoping to convey indifference as he shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans. "I can cancel. It's no biggie," he offered, deciding to change the subject.

He met Raven's gaze briefly, before losing his courage and looking away.

"A convenient case of food poisoning is hard to argue with," he continued jokingly.

Though, when she didn't respond, he begrudgingly pushed aside his nerves and looked at her.

She was regarding him thoughtfully, her brow arched. Her arms were crossed over her stomach, making her seem even smaller than usual as she leaned against her desk - Garfield wasn't sure when she had come out from behind it.

"Does that... work for you?" he asked hesitantly.

She cocked her head to the side, ignoring his question. "I'm sure you've probably realized this already, but I'm kind of a bitch," she began randomly.

Garfield bit back his initial response of ' _Yep!_ ' as he found himself fighting the urge to agree wholeheartedly. " _Whaaa_..." he mused instead.

The smirk she sent him lifted a weight off of his shoulders. "I'm used to being a means to an end - and that end either being in _my_ bed or _Kori's_ , obviously - so I tend to be rather... abrasive when I'm being flirted with."

A wry smile formed on Garfield's lips - he was kind of a natural flirt. "I'm not purposely - " he began, but she hurriedly cut him off.

"No, I realize that," she explained. "You're not _actively_ trying to get in my pants or get with my roommate or whatever. You're just genuinely a nice guy."

The blond tried not to cringe - 'nice guy' wasn't really a compliment in this day and age. It was more akin to an insult, actually. Creepy, borderline-stalker dude? Usually a self-proclaimed 'nice-guy'. "I can be a douche-bag, if you want?" he offered, unsure.

Raven laughed at that. It was quiet, and she had done him a great disservice by covering her mouth in an unneeded act of modesty, but it was still a _laugh_. A pure, genuine, ever-welcomed _laugh_. "That really won't be necessary, Garfield."

The sound of his name passing through her lips was almost as exhilarating as her timid chuckle - and Garfield had to actively keep his jaw from dropping. The girl standing before him had to have been the most frustrating, stubborn, fucking _infuriating_ person he had ever met, and he felt the oddest sensation come over him as his eyes darted between hers.

He wanted to be her friend.

The thought kind of shocked him, if he were to be completely honest. She was smoking hot and totally willing to sleep with him, and yet, the thing he suddenly craved the most was companionship. Camaraderie. A chance to get to know her on a deeper, more platonic level. Yeah, he would still fuck her at the drop of a hat (if she let him - he was unsure where they stood at the moment), but the idea of actually meaning something to her? Having her see him as more than a pretty face?

Hell yeah - motherfucking _friendship_.

"You don't need to suffer through any imaginary illness," she continued loftily, her stoic facade returning, albeit slowly. "It's really just dinner. We're there for moral support."

Garfield felt himself nod, though the meaning behind her words hadn't yet connected with him. He was still a little confused by his sudden desire to befriend her. "A friend date," he muttered, mostly to himself.

Raven quirked her brow, obviously having heard him. "Anyway," she continued, her eyes glancing past him and towards her door. "I still haven't taken my lunch..."

Despite her earlier jab, the blond _could_ take a hint. "I should find Vic," he mused quickly. "He has to be done with that phone call by now."

But as he took a step backwards, Raven abruptly reached out to him, her small hand encircling his wrist.

"Sara Sims is a tiny, twenty-something blonde with a fantastic credit score," Raven needlessly informed him. "Victor's no where _near_ done with that phone call."

Garfield attempted to swallow down the lump in his throat, seeing how it was inhibiting his ability to communicate vocally. Though, it proved to be fruitless, since his vocal cords refused to cooperate either way. Despite being smaller than him, Raven had a surprisingly firm grip, and he couldn't tug himself free.

Not that he was _actually_ trying to.

Several conflicting emotions passed over Raven's face, before she settled on something somber and subdued. "I'm sorry I - "

Her attempted apology was just as unexpected as her shy laughter, though neither came close to the complete and utter insanity that suddenly struck Garfield as he leaned forward, clumsily capturing her lips with his own.

Her hand had immediately released his wrist, only for it to snake its way up his arm and around the back of his neck. His own hands found residence on her hips, and he hurriedly pulled her closer to deepen the kiss. Despite always being a bit impulsive, he was shocked by his bold actions - and completely _flabbergasted_ by hers. She was kissing him again; _willingly!_ Not that he was complaining, mind you. As if her allowing him to even _touch_ her wasn't enough of an ego-boost, the way she all but melted into his arms caused his confidence to soar.

Yeah, he wanted to be her friend - but that didn't mean he couldn't enjoy a few _benefits_.

Her tongue tentatively swiped along his bottom lip, and Garfield eagerly invited it to tangle with his own as he parted his mouth. She tasted like cinnamon and vanilla - a delicious combination that did little to quell the twitching of his nether regions.

But the twitching only increased when he felt her other hand tug at his belt. She had the right idea - they were both wearing far too many clothes, and Raven's office was actually kinda stuffy, and it was getting pretty hot (in every sense of the word), and they could totally -

 _Wait_. He never put a new condom in his wallet. The box was still in his drawer at home. They weren't _at_ his home. _Aaaaand_ cue his reality check.

"Uh, whoa there," he protested halfheartedly, his lips ghosting over hers as he attempted to speak. He hadn't yet found the sense to release her.

"What, are you expecting to do this with your pants on?" Raven mused casually, dragging her other hand over his torso before it, too, joined in her quest of undoing his belt.

Garfield readied himself to respond, but found it suddenly hard to talk with his bottom lip caught between her teeth. Instead, he kissed her harder for good measure, his hands wandering up her sides aimlessly.

Sure, he knew he should probably warn her that he didn't have a condom - at least before things got too heated - but his pants _were_ feeling a bit restrictive. And hey, he had a few things in mind that didn't necessarily involve his pants _or_ his little latex friend, and it was quite possible that Raven was riding a similar wavelength.

Though, the way she hiked her leg over his hip as they stumbled towards her desk told him a different story.

Her mouth refused to leave his for longer than a millisecond, and he felt a slight sense of panic begin to pool in the pit of his stomach. What if she just kept kissing him? Was she so lost in passion that she didn't even stop to think about protection? So blinded by lust that the only thing on her mind was getting him inside of her?

Holy hell. He was totally going to knock her up. He was going to get her _pregnant_. He wasn't ready to be a _dad!_

The sudden wave of dread that washed over him was enough to separate their lips as he jerked his head backwards, his eyes wide.

"I don't have a condom!" he frantically announced - his exclamation louder than what was probably necessary.

Pretty indigo eyes stared at him blankly. A moment of silence passed between them. And then another. "Inside voice, please," she finally replied.

Though, before he could find the sense to be embarrassed, she continued to speak.

"When was the last time you got tested?"

Okay, _now_ he was ready to be embarrassed.

Garfield blinked at her slowly, unsure of what she meant. "Um, I kinda feel like you're testing me right now," he admitted jokingly.

Those pretty indigo eyes were now glaring at him. "Ha. I'm serious."

Racking his brain, the blond guessed that she was referring to something more akin to blood-work or peeing in a cup; although, it'd be mortifying if he was wrong.

So with that in mind, he continued to play dumb. "I've kinda been taking a gap year, so I haven't had an exam in a while. My finals were... last May?" His hands were still firmly attached to her hips, though he loosened his grip when she made a move to sit on her desk.

"You know what I mean," was her bored reply.

Fairly certain that he _did_ know, Garfield let out a reluctant sigh. "Heh, uh... two or three months ago?" he guessed. He usually got all those tests done during his bi-yearly check-up.

Raven nodded stoically at his reply, and he was suddenly grateful for her unwavering maturity. "And the results?"

The blond could feel himself flush at her implication. "Clean as a whistle, baby," he answered cheekily - as well as honestly.

His companion nodded once more. "And have you slept with anyone since?"

Garfield couldn't help but shamefully avoid her gaze. " _Duh_ ," he answered far too quickly, before cringing in embarrassment at how lame he sounded. "Well, uh, because, you know... you," he added shyly. "I've slept with you."

Still, Raven remained neutral, seemingly unfazed by his lack of game. "Oh, right," she responded, a bit too calmly for his liking. "The virgin-thing."

Garfield was suddenly seeing red, and was sure his complexion matched. "I'm _not_ a _virgin!_ " he defended shrilly.

Raven quirked her brow. "Well, not _anymore_ , obviously," came her simple reply. The faintest trace of a smile danced across her lips. And yeah, he loved a good joke, but this was just _cruel_.

"I lost my virginity at _nineteen_ , thank you very much," he quipped, taking a step away from her as he crossed his arms over his chest.

Despite the blank way she regarded him, he could see a twinkle of amusement in her eyes. It was a good look on her, he decided - albeit begrudgingly. He wasn't thrilled at being the butt of the joke; but if it got her eyes to light up like that, well...

Unfortunately, the twinkle faded rather quickly. "That was very unnecessary of you to share," she deadpanned, before swiftly getting back on topic. "I, too, am STD-free, as well as on birth control, so if you're comfortable with - "

But she didn't have to finish her sentence, for Garfield had made up his mind the moment he heard the words 'birth control' and firmly reattached his lips to hers.

They picked up right where they had left off - their somewhat awkward discussion pushed to the back of Garfield's brain. He could dwell on his mortification later.

No, the buttons on Raven's blouse were much more interesting at the moment; his fingers shakily undoing them as she returned her focus to his belt. He could feel her touch through the fabric of his jeans, his cock jumping in anticipation.

Realizing that getting her completely naked would be rather pointless, Garfield settled for unbuttoning the top four buttons of her blouse, before his hands slid down her body. His mouth left hers, only to ghost over her jaw and trail kisses down her neck. Even though he was far from sober when they first hooked up, he absently remembered that she seemed to have a sweet spot, right above her pulse. He tentatively nipped at it - earning a choked gasp. Smiling against her skin, his hands continued to roam over her body, memorizing the curve of her hips and the firmness of her legs.

His fingers toyed with the hem of her skirt for a moment, before he slid them beneath the fabric and up her thighs. His eyes nearly shot open when he was almost immediately met with the feeling of her bare skin; her nylons were nothing more than thigh-highs.

That was going to make things so much easier.

Pushing her further onto her desk, they both ignored the sound of breaking glass as her picture frames fell to the floor. Raven had successfully undid his belt and his fly, and was now in the process of stroking him through his boxers.

He flinched at the sensation, though his hands continued to travel up her thighs, dragging her skirt up in the process. His mouth returned to hers, seeing how their lips were magnetic or something - why else would they both be incapable of keeping them apart? Yeah, she was an amazing kisser, and he figured he wasn't too shabby himself, but that didn't explain why they couldn't keep themselves off of each other -

His thoughts came to a screeching halt the moment her hand wrapped around his cock.

Deciding that thinking was really just wasted energy at this point, Garfield pushed his musings to the side, along with Raven's panties. She gasped into his kiss as he lightly trailed his finger over her core, marveling at how wet she already was.

The poor girl needed to get laid more often, it seemed.

Pulling his other hand out from underneath her skirt, he slipped it behind her waist and tugged her to the edge of her desk. Her hand continued to expertly stroke his exposed member, causing him to growl against her lips in a mixture of excitement and frustration.

Something that sounded vaguely like a giggle escaped her, though he found he was in no position to appreciate it as she wrapped her legs around him. The space between them was closing drastically, and although he loved the way she squirmed beneath his touch - his fingers teasing at her entrance - he decided that a different part of his anatomy was better suited for the job.

Leaning over her, he deepened their kiss while positioning himself between her legs. She seemed to take the hint as she removed her hands from his member, and instead used her elbows to prop herself up on her desk.

Garfield broke their kiss when he entered her, hissing at the blissful sensation. Raven made a choked noise of her own, before throwing her head back as her legs tightened around him.

Her cleavage was fully exposed to him, along with the cups of her plain black bra. Random spots of moisture glistened along her neck and collarbone, though he wasn't sure if it was from his mouth or her sweat. Still, she looked absolutely radiant beneath him, her pale skin glowing against her darker attire, and her face contorted in a cross between pleasure and impatience.

His thrusts were controlled but hard - anything less didn't get her to bite her lip in the way that made his knees wobble. She was breathing heavily, and he could see her fists clenching and releasing from the corner of his eye. His past two excursions with her had taught him that she liked to dig her nails into him; the crescent-shaped marks on his back being proof of that. Deciding to take pity on her, he used his free hand to brace himself on her desk, before pulling her closer.

Raven happily obliged, her arms eagerly snaking under his as her hands found residence on his shoulder blades. The green shirt he was wearing didn't allow her nails to dig in as deeply, though he wasn't necessarily complaining. In the moment, it was hot and a total turn-on. But after? The little cuts kinda stung.

His thrusts became quicker and wilder, and his breath was coming in short gasps. He could feel the desk beneath them scoot every time he pushed into her, and it wouldn't surprise him if they ended up against the wall by the time they finished. He found himself conflicted as he gazed at her face; her eyes were closed and her brows were furrowed, and she was practically biting a hole through her bottom lip. But the longer he stared at her, the closer he felt to finishing. And so far, he hadn't had the best track-record for lasting. Raven was just so effortlessly sexy and alluring, and he practically came just thinking about her.

Though, despite his lack of endurance, he had successfully gotten her to finish both times they had fucked. Or, at least, he had gotten her breath to hitch and her body to spasm, before a string of impolite words would slip from between her lips in that raspy, sultry voice of hers. But he was pretty sure those were the same thing.

Closing his eyes, he deduced that he would probably last longer if he couldn't see her (although, the little mewls and gasps she was making weren't helping, either).

The desk jolted suddenly beneath them, but when he attempted to re-position himself, Raven let out a cry that he hadn't yet heard from her as her nails dug deeper into his skin. Knowing it was probably a bad idea, but doing it anyway, Garfield reopened his eyes.

Her face was twisted into a look of complete and utter bliss, her brows furrowed in confusion while her mouth hung open helplessly. Her body was doing that spazzy thing against him, though it took him a moment to notice as his thrusts became harder.

Another cry escaped her, before she smothered it by biting into his shoulder, effectively releasing a surprised groan of his own. He could feel himself getting closer, though he no longer felt guilty as she practically seized beneath him.

"Oh shit, oh no, oh _god_ , just like that," came her small voice, only slightly muffled by his shoulder. He couldn't stop himself from grinning as she let out a dignified, " _Fuck_ ," and he had to bite his tongue to keep from echoing her sentiment.

He was only seconds away - he could feel it. But as he prepared for the euphoria, he was struck by a sobering thought. Where was, uh... _it_... going to go? He'd never had sex without a condom; hell, besides Raven, he'd never had sex with the same girl twice. So he had always used protection - in this day and age, it was the sensible thing to do.

And yeah, he knew that he could just come inside of her, but... then what? It wouldn't just... _absorb_ or whatever, right?

 _Right?_

His predicament was almost enough to get him to pull out, but the sudden, breathless gasp that escaped her threw his idea right out the window, and he felt himself release.

Shuddering slightly, he hurriedly let go of her as he used both arms to brace himself on her desk. She was still trapped between the two, but seemed unbothered as she leisurely leaned back onto her elbows, her breathing returning to normal. A light layer of sweat glistened along her forehead, and Garfield was overcome by the strangest sensation to wipe it away.

Thankfully, he resisted.

"Well, that's one way to spend my lunch break," Raven mused flatly.

Garfield snorted despite himself. "Heh, y-yeah," he agreed, albeit somewhat absently. He was still inside of her, and wasn't sure what to expect when he'd pull out. Would it release the floodgates?

"I _would_ like to get up, eventually," she continued in the same bored tone.

The blond nodded in understanding, though he made no move to, well, _move_.

Raven rolled her eyes at him, before basically reading his mind as she leaned backwards over her desk. Her hand patted down the drawers on the front of it, before awkwardly pulling one open and removing a box of tissues.

Grinning, Garfield hurriedly snatched a few, before hesitantly pulling himself out of her.

"I'm going to... freshen up a bit," Raven announced, her heels landing against the floor gracefully.

Again, Garfield could only nod as he cleaned himself up. Though, another jolt of envy shot through him as he watched Raven toddle across her office and towards a door he hadn't noticed before.

"Dude, you've got your own _bathroom?_ "

His pale companion sent him a glare from over her shoulder. "What did I say about calling me 'dude'?"

Though, before Garfield could apologize, she opened the door and slipped into her private restroom. Shrugging to himself, he tossed the tissues into the waste basket beside her desk, before pulling his pants back up. His attention wandered around the room once again as he re-looped his belt, before focusing in on the mess they had made. Letting out a wistful sigh, Garfield scooted her desk back into place, before picking up the papers they had knocked to the floor.

By the time he gotten to the broken frame, Raven had reemerged from the bathroom looking as put-together as ever. In fact, the only evidence of their quickie was the slight redness at the junction of where her shoulder met her neck.

Garfield felt a satisfied smirk tug at his lips.

"Be mindful of the glass," Raven warned, bending down to assist him. With her so much closer, he was able to see that her hair was a little tangled, too, and that the slightest hint of a flush remained beneath her skin.

Otherwise? She was picture-perfect.

Though, speaking of pictures...

His eyes returning to the broken frame before him, Garfield carefully removed the photograph. Paying it closer attention, he now realized that it was really just a page torn out of a magazine. The strange thing obscuring Kori's face was a bubble, and though he was no advertising-expert, he deduced that Raven was the focal point of the ad. Odd - you would think the legitimate, European-model would be the one on display. His eyes squinting at the text, he mentally cursed himself for not speaking a lick of Japanese.

"Enjoying yourself?" Raven deadpanned, causing the blond to jump at the sound of her voice.

Tearing his eyes from the ad, he gave his companion a sheepish look. "Uh, sorry," he smiled, before glancing between the real Raven and the photo. It was obvious that she was older now; her face was sharper, and her body had filled out in a way that made him blush. He guessed she had been about nineteen or twenty when it was taken; and though they hadn't discussed it, he figured they were the same age - making her about twenty-four now. _Maybe_ twenty-five, if her apparent business-savvy demeanor and future promotion were anything to go by.

But aside from the age-difference between current her and model her, the biggest change was the length of her hair. In the ad, it was long and wavy - spilling over her shoulders and kissing at her hipbones. But now? It was short and straight; barely brushing her collarbone. And though Garfield had always been partial to girls with long blonde hair, he definitely preferred the shorter cut on Raven.

"I like your hair better now," he confessed, unprompted.

He watched as Raven's hand immediately shot towards her hair, before she shyly tucked a few loose strands behind her ear. "Yes, well, it's much more manageable now," she agreed awkwardly.

The urge to follow her movements with his own hand struck him suddenly, and he almost went through with it -

Although Raven's door bursting open was kind of distracting.

Garfield nearly fell into the glass as he whipped his head towards the interruption. Meanwhile, Raven had shot to her feet, her body stiffening.

"Ever heard of _knocking_ ," she hissed.

But the intruder (also known as Victor Stone, Garfield's best friend since middle school, and Raven's oblivious coworker), only grinned.

"Sorry, Rae - but I need that portfolio," he explained cheerfully as he stepped into the office and towards her filing cabinet. "I still got Sara on the phone, and she's wanting something..."

But Garfield tuned out the rest of his friend's sentence as he stood upright, feeling slightly perturbed when Raven neglected to reprimand Vic for calling her 'Rae'. How come _he_ was allowed to use the nickname?

"...in here, anyway?"

Garfield frowned at his friend, before realizing that his last question was directed towards him. "Huh?" came his intelligent reply, before he hesitantly placed Raven's photo onto her desk.

"I asked what you were doing in here. Rae's not one to just invite - "

But Raven hurriedly cut him off. "Your friend is very talkative," she mused, both answering and dodging Victor's question at the same time. "And incredibly clumsy," she added, before gesturing to the broken glass on her floor.

A blush worked its way down Garfield's neck as his friend gave him a pointed look.

"Yeah, that's Gar for ya," he agreed loftily, before a taunting smirk crept across his lips. "In fact, he almost whacked your car with mine when we got here."

The strange, familiar feeling Garfield had gotten earlier suddenly made total sense. He must have subconsciously recognized Raven's car - he had been in it barely three days ago, after all.

"Shocking," was Raven's response, before she idly crouched back down. "If you could please take your friend with you, that'd be great. I don't want him breaking anything else."

Garfield resisted the urge to glare at the pale girl beside him, and instead feigned sheepishness as he rubbed the back of his neck. He hoped the action would obscure the slight moisture he felt on his shoulder, where said girl had bit him in the midst of their tryst.

"Come on, Grass Stain," Victor grinned, gesturing towards the exit with an exaggerated wave.

Garfield's eyes narrowed at the large man, before he reluctantly dragged himself across the room. He knew that saying goodbye to Raven would probably be a bad idea, but he couldn't help but send her a timid wave as Victor closed the door behind them.

And he could have sworn she had smirked in reply.

Though, his annoyance at his friend pushed the thought to the back of his mind. "What the fuck, dude!" he exclaimed, before lightly punching him in the shoulder.

But Victor merely laughed as he regarded the blond with confusion. "What?"

"' _Grass Stain_ '," Garfield repeated incredulously. "Seriously?"

Still, Vic wasn't getting it. "I know your hair ain't green anymore, but that name is forever, man," he teased, his smile unwavering. "Along with Green Bean, Lettuce Head, Salad Lad - "

But Garfield cut him off with a growl. "I _know_ , but we had an agreement! An impasse! A blood-oath!" he argued irritably. "No embarrassing nicknames - "

" - in front of cute girls," Victor finished smugly. "Yeah, I _know_ that. But it was only..."

It was then that realization hit him, and Garfield suddenly regretted opening his big mouth as he watched his friend's smile turn more and more devious.

"Aw, man - you got the hots for _Rae?_ " he surmised, before letting out a hearty chuckle as he ushered the blond down the hall.

Garfield's face was unbelievably warm. "W-what? No!" he denied quickly, letting his friend lead him back towards the sales floor. "I'm just saying, like, she's _kinda_ cute or whatever..." But he knew it was pointless.

"Don't even bother, Kiddo," Vic continued, patronizingly. "She's an ice queen. A super smart, no-nonsense kinda gal. Hates to be flirted with." He spared the blond another glance, his eyes twinkling with mirth. "And _waaaay_ outta your league."

Garfield huffed at his friend's deduction, though he knew not to argue. Sure, Raven was definitely all of those things - but that didn't mean Vic could just go around using embarrassing nicknames in front of cute girls. Especially since Garfield was going to being seeing this particular cute girl again.

"If that's the case, then why do I have a date with her this Friday?" he bit back defensively, before slapping his hand against his mouth. _Oops_.

Victor came to a sudden stop, his brows arching in disbelief. "Don't lie to me, man. You know I can just go back there and ask her, right?"

Garfield swallowed nervously - that's exactly why he _shouldn't_ have said anything. Raven obviously wanted to keep their little double-date on the down-low.

"Well, uh, _technically_ ," he continued, earning a knowing smirk from his friend, "Dick's got a date with her roommate, and the two of them are dragging us along - " he attempted to explain, but Victor's amused scoff interrupted him.

"Dick's got a date with _Kori?_ " he exclaimed, before letting out a hearty chuckle. "How the _hell_ did he manage _that?_ She's literally a _model!_ "

Relieved that the focus was off of him and Raven, Garfield laughed along. "I know, right? It's insane."

But Victor didn't even seem to hear him as he instead doubled over, wheezing. "Dick Grayson got himself a date with a _model!_ Oh, what has this world come to? How is that even possible!"

Though at his friend's obvious disbelief, a small, confused smile tugged at the corner of the blond's mouth. Yeah, Dick Grayson had a date with a model, but... well, Garfield Logan kinda did, too.

* * *

 **I like how I said that these chapters would be shorter, and then I go and use almost the exact same amount of words. Ah, I can't be trusted.**

 **But this story, you guys! It's so freaking fun to write! And the support it's getting is so incredible! Thank you so much! I love all of you :D**


	4. Chapter 4

Smoothing down the fabric of her dress, Raven resisted the urge to change her outfit a third time as she frowned at her reflection. She had never been much of a fashionista, and hadn't ever wanted to be one. Simple was her preference; fitted blouses for work, plain t-shirts for leisure, and casual dresses for fancier occasions. Nothing glitzy, or sparkly, or - heaven forbid - _pink_. In fact, she had always prided herself on how effortlessly understated her wardrobe was.

So _why_ , pray tell, was she considering raiding _Kori's_ closet for an outfit?

She had no desire to impress Garfield. Yeah, the attention he gave her was nice, but she wasn't _vying_ for it or anything. And sure, the compliments he showered her with were flattering, but they weren't necessary to hear. It was obvious that he was attracted to her. _Blatantly_ obvious. She could show up to dinner in a literal garbage bag, and he'd _still_ want to fuck her senseless.

But... she didn't _want_ to wear a garbage bag. She didn't _want_ to wear her plain, boring clothing. She didn't _want_ to wear the simple, sapphire-blue sweater dress that was currently hugging her curves. Yeah, it made her small waist look _exceptionally_ tiny, and the hem hit her mid-thigh, making her long legs look even longer. Also, the color was very flattering - jewel tones always paired well with her fair complexion. And the mock-neck was modest, and the long sleeves would keep her warm (she was always cold), and the fact that her roommate had gifted it to her for Christmas meant that it was officially _Kori-Approved_. But, still...

Letting out a sigh, Raven turned herself from the full-length mirror beside her dresser and sat herself on her bed. She couldn't understand why she was so worked up over her outfit - her 'date' tonight was as artificial as the zero-calorie sweetener she used in her tea. There was no reason to be nervous; her and Garfield were both on the same page. They were only going out to provide moral support. To keep things from getting too awkward for their respective roommates. It was nothing more than a 'friend-date', as he had so eloquently put it.

So she _again_ had to ask herself: _Why?_ Why was she so nervous?

Maybe it was because she would undoubtedly be compared to Kori. Sure, Garfield hadn't really commented on the redhead - but was that because he hadn't properly gotten a good _look_ at her? The bar had been dimly lit, after all, and the blond had been assigned with distracting Raven so that Dick could move in on the model. And yeah, Garfield hadn't seemed put-off by the task, and had successfully gotten into Raven's pants - _three_ times now - and she figured he'd be down for a fourth.

Yet... she just couldn't stop thinking about how he would react to Kori. Her roommate was vibrant, friendly, and _drop-dead_ gorgeous; no straight male could ever resist her.

Pinching the bridge of her nose, Raven silently scolded herself. It honestly didn't matter _what_ Garfield would think of the redhead, because Raven barely cared about what he thought of _her_. He was just some silly boy, whose opinion didn't matter in the slightest. So what if he was an incredible kisser? Who cared if he was fantastic in bed? And did it _really_ matter that he was actually a nice person? He was a fuck boy, plain and simple. Just some dumb guy who she hooked up with... several times. And who she'd probably hook up with again, if given the opportunity.

Her jealousy of Kori was unwarranted. What, was she suddenly nineteen again? All timid and unsure of herself? No - Raven was an _adult_. She had known the model for half a decade now - and she had overcome her envy _years_ ago. And no way in _hell_ was she going to let some stupid double-date (that she didn't even want to go on!) stir up old insecurities -

Raven's thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a knock on her door.

"Raven? I require your opinion!"

Kori's voice had a nervous quality to it - something the dark-haired girl wasn't accustomed to hearing. Standing from her bed, Raven pointedly ignored her reflection as she passed by her mirror, and instead strode towards her bedroom door. Twisting the knob and pulling it open, she found herself face-to-chin with the redhead.

Kori was standing in the hall, wearing a shy smile and her neon pink undergarments. "I cannot decide on an outfit," she informed Raven needlessly.

Resisting the urge to roll her eyes, Raven gave her half-naked friend a pointed look. "And you're telling me this because..?" she queried. Kori was the residential fashion expert, after all.

But said expert merely huffed. "Because I trust your judgement," she answered plainly, before her green eyes darted over Raven's outfit. "Oh! You are wearing my gift!" she enthused, smiling brightly. "You look marvelous in it!"

Raven felt herself flush. "Yes, well - you have fantastic taste," she replied, quirking her brow. "So, I'm sure you can figure out an outfit for yourself." Watching as the redhead modeled the entirety of her wardrobe was the last thing Raven wanted to do right now.

Though, Kori didn't seem to grasp that. "I have narrowed it down to three choices, if that is helpful to you," she explained cheerfully, as if reading the pale girl's mind.

Again, Raven tried to suppress her irritation. Her roommate knew her too well. "Fine," she relented.

Kori let out an excited squeal, before snatching the smaller girl's wrist and dragging her across the hall. Thankful that she hadn't yet put on her shoes, Raven allowed herself to be pulled into her roommate's shockingly pink bedroom.

Ignoring the disgustingly girly decor, she zeroed in on the three outfits lying across Kori's bed. The first one was a simple lilac sundress, paired with a white cardigan and silver accessories. Raven immediately dismissed it - wearing white to an Italian restaurant was just asking for trouble. The second outfit consisted of a burgundy bell-sleeve top and sequin gold skirt, and though Raven was certain the redhead could pull it off, she figured the ensemble was a little too flashy for a second date. The third outfit was a purple body-con dress and black denim jacket - a perfect mixture of sexy and casual. Raven pointed to it silently, before retreating back to her room.

"Thank you so very much!" Kori called after her.

Raven merely raised her hand to acknowledge the girl, before stepping into her room and closing the door behind her. Letting out an exasperated sigh, she made her way back towards her mirror.

For some strange reason, knowing what Kori was planning to wear made things a little easier, and Raven found herself eyeing her reflection less critically. Sure, her roommate's form-fitting dress was bound to turn heads, but Raven's outfit no longer seemed as drab. Yeah, it was still a sweater dress - but it was a _sexy_ sweater dress.

Rolling her eyes in spite of herself, Raven made her way towards her vanity. She had never been much of a makeup guru, regardless of her background in ballet and performing, but she still had quite the collection of cosmetics. She could give herself a stage-face in three minutes flat, and she had damn-near perfected a cat eye, but there was just something so alluring about a bold brow and nude lip. Taking a moment to achieve that exact look, Raven quickly swiped on a few coats of mascara for good measure, before silently declaring herself ready.

Which meant, she could read for the next hour it would take for Kori to deem herself ready, too.

* * *

She had just reached the climax when Kori burst through her bedroom door, her green eyes wide. "We are going to be late!"

Raven glanced up, her gaze momentarily taking in her frantic-looking roommate. The model was wearing the dress and jacket, having paired it with black boots that made her even taller. A pang of annoyance stabbed at Raven when she realized she was going to be the shortest one tonight, though she hurriedly shook it away. Not everyone could be 5'10", after all.

Calmly marking her place, Raven closed her book while blankly staring at her friend. "And whose fault is that?" she asked plainly, setting her novel on her bedside table as she climbed out of her bed. Her bare feet hitting her hardwood floor, she ignored the goosebumps that shot up her legs.

"My hair would not curl!" the redhead exclaimed dramatically, before gesturing to her loose waves. "Tonight is so very important, and yet, my hair will not hold a single ringlet!" Her voice was full of distress, though a small, self-deprecating smile tugged at her bright pink lips.

Raven shook her head fondly as she slipped on her socks. "It's just a date, Kori," she chastised halfheartedly. "It's not like you're getting married."

Her roommate giggled sheepishly at Raven's argument. "That is true," she admitted, before twirling her hair in an offensively girlish manner. "But I very much want to make a good impression; the restaurant is the place of Richard's employment."

Raven couldn't stop her surprise from showing as her eyes widened. She was well aware of Garfield working there - but hearing that Dick did, too, was honestly shocking. She had figured that an alleged trust-fund kid wouldn't _need_ a job.

But what _really_ surprised her was the fact that Dick had told Kori - the _model_ \- that he worked at a shitty Italian restaurant. His honesty was refreshing, to say the least. Most guys lied to Kori in the hopes of impressing her, when all the redhead really wanted was transparency. Raven begrudgingly had to give the guy props.

"So they both work there?" she mused aloud, before biting back a growl of frustration as Kori gave her a confused smile.

"You told me that you did not pay Garfield any attention," she accused playfully.

Raven adopted a stoic expression as she internally scrambled for an excuse. "I... I mean, he talked quite a bit. I was bound to have remembered something," she offered.

Kori seemed placated as her smile brightened. "I suppose," she said sweetly, before her earlier urgency returned. "Oh! But enough of the chit-chat! Put on your shoes and let us get going!"

She ended her command with a clap, causing Raven's eyebrow to twitch irritably as the pale girl stepped into her favorite pair of boots.

"Again - us running late is entirely _your_ fault."

* * *

Putting her car in park, Raven closed her eyes as she leaned her head back against her seat. "I can't believe I'm actually doing this," she muttered, her exasperation apparent in the way she let out a long, labored sigh.

An amused huff sounded from beside her, and even though Raven couldn't see her, she knew that Kori was smiling. "You are an incredible friend," the redhead declared brightly.

Raven furrowed her brows, somewhat unwilling to open her eyes. "I'm an incredible _pushover_ ," she corrected. "And I hate you."

Kori giggled at that. "Do not lie to me," she warned teasingly, her voice full of unbridled affection. "You love me."

Opening her eyes, Raven shot her friend a sideways look. "I don't _do_ love," she bit back plainly.

Still, Kori only laughed, before glancing at the phone in her hand. "Well, Richard has texted me that they are almost here. It seems we were not the only ones running late."

Raven quirked her brow. "' _We_ '?" she repeated incredulously.

Again, the model did nothing to hide her amusement, despite the blush that spread over her cheeks. "Perhaps it was just me," she admitted bashfully, before her smile waned as she avoided Raven's eyes.

 _Uh oh_ , Raven thought bitterly.

"I think it is best to warn you now," Kori began, changing the subject as she fiddled with her cellphone. "Richard has said that Garfield is very... flirtatious."

A snort of amusement escaped the pale girl - she was fully aware of that fact. " _Obnoxious_ is more accurate," she drawled, ignoring the smirk that tugged at her lips.

Though, the redhead either didn't hear her, or simply chose to look past her correction. "Richard has pleaded with him to be on his best behavior," she continued hurriedly, mistaking Raven's bland amusement for annoyance. "And I ask that you act accordingly, as well. I do not wish to make a bad impression."

But she was only met with a scowl as Raven regarded her incredulously. " _Excuse_ me?" she sneered, sitting up straight as her hands tightly gripped her steering wheel. "You're worried that _I'll_ make a bad impression?"

Kori seemed unfazed by her friend's anger. "I am worried that you will not be kind," she replied honestly.

Again, Raven could only scoff. "I'm fairly certain that me even agreeing to this in the _first_ place is considered 'kind'." Raven knew that Kori was fully aware of her intense dislike of dating - double or otherwise - so the fact that she had even _considered_ coming out tonight was a testament to Raven's 'kindness'.

Though, the redhead didn't seem convinced. "Richard asked Garfield to keep the flirting to a minimum," she stated plainly, causing Raven's eyes to roll (as if the blond _wouldn't_ be a complete tool), "and I am asking you to treat the both of them kindly."

Raven opened her mouth to object, but Kori cut her off with a rare, serious look.

"I would very much like a _third_ date with Richard."

Loosening her grip on her steering wheel, Raven merely shook her head. "I'll try to be nice... _ish_..." she compromised.

Kori beamed brightly, before glancing back at her phone. "Oh! They have arrived!"

Raven's heart jumped, causing her to internally berate herself. It was _just_ Garfield - an annoying boy who she'd have to entertain for a few hours. She had no reason to be nervous. Removing her keys from the ignition, she begrudgingly opened her car door and stepped onto the pavement. Kori was already a step ahead of her, the redhead's excitement causing her to slam the passenger door closed, the noise echoing across the parking lot.

Resisting the urge to lecture her friend, Raven settled on instead sending the girl a halfhearted glare.

Though, it went unnoticed, for Kori was practically floating towards the two men approaching them.

Dick was looking sharp in a crisp black button-up and dark-wash jeans. His black hair was slicked back, and a pair of thick-rimmed glasses sat across the bridge of his nose. Raven was taken aback slightly - she didn't remember him having glasses.

Though, she figured that may have been due to the way her eyes almost immediately drifted over to the blond beside him. Garfield was grinning ( _shocking_ ), while running his hand through his hair in a way that Raven would never describe as _endearing_. No, it was obviously a nervous tick - one that probably stemmed from his incessant need for approval. He was dressed much more casually - a purple and black flannel was haphazardly thrown over a white t-shirt, which he carelessly paired with faded jeans and the same tattered shoes that smelt like his room (or did his room smell like his shoes? She didn't care to think too hard on it).

Steeling her resolve and sending out a silent prayer, Raven reluctantly followed after the redhead.

"Richard!" Kori greeted cheerfully, her exclamation nearly causing her newly-flustered date to trip over himself. She bounded towards him excitably, before pulling the blushing man into a hug.

Raven allowed herself a small smirk as she watched the scene, but as her sights idly wandered towards Garfield, her smile fell.

He had also been observing their friends with a teasing twinkle in his green eyes, though the moment those green eyes met hers, the twinkle was replaced by a full-on supernova.

"Raven," he stated loftily, before extending his hand.

She would be lying if she said she had expected his nonchalance. No, she had been prepared for something more... _obvious_. Yet here he was, acting sort-of gentlemanly - and she found herself pleasantly surprised for once. But that didn't mean she was going to _show_ her surprise.

"Garfield," she returned plainly, before delicately placing her palm against his. She tensed for a moment, fearful that he was going to dramatically kiss the back of her hand or do something else horribly cliche, but he surprised her again by merely shaking it.

"Nice seeing you again," he mused, his stupid, crooked smile making her stomach churn violently.

Raven was about to return the sentiment (out of common courtesy, of course - _not_ because she meant it), but was hastily interrupted as Kori tugged her from the blond's grasp.

"Raven, this is Richard!" The introduction was primarily unneeded, though the two of them humored the model, regardless. "Richard, Raven!"

"Nice to meet you," Richard smiled, extending his hand before him.

Raven returned the gesture politely. "Likewise."

His smile was subdued, but didn't seem in-genuine. His handshake was firm, and he had kept eye-contact with Raven for the entire exchange. He seemed respectful and well-mannered; just the kind of guy Raven would want for her best friend.

"You must be Garfield!"

Releasing Richard's hand, Raven suppressed an exasperated sigh as she watched the blond hold his hand out towards the redhead.

"That's me - " he began, but suddenly seemed unable to talk as Kori ignored his gesture and instead pulled him into one of her signature, bone-crushing hugs.

"I am so very pleased to meet you!" the former-model enthused, entirely unaware of her strength as the blond grimaced in pain.

"Heh, uh, d-ditto," he offered weakly, before awkwardly patting Kori on the back.

She released him after a moment, oblivious to the way he silently gasped for air. "Oh, this is most exciting, is it not?" she squealed, asking no one in particular as she clapped her hands together. "Though, I hope our tardiness has not cost us our reservations," she mused, looking past the boys and towards the restaurant.

Raven followed her gaze, taking in the building's try-hard exterior with a bored expression. The front was rather on-the-nose with the Italian theme, sporting pillars draped in vines and fake grapes hanging above the entrance. The word _Giovanni's_ hung above the doors in cursive, with _Ristorante & Bar _plastered underneath. She felt her brows arch in approval at the last word - if she were expected to deal with Garfield, then alcohol was a _must_.

Though, her blank expression fell back into place at the sound of the blond's voice.

"Psh, don't worry about that," Garfield playfully assured Kori, though his gaze seemed to be fixed on Raven (not that she was looking at him or anything - her eyes were expertly avoiding his). "I'm their best waiter, and Dick here is their most popular host - they'll hold our reservations all night."

Again, Raven felt her brow quirk at the casual way Garfield referred to their... more _mundane_ jobs, and how Richard seemed genuinely unbothered by it. Not that she was judging them or anything - Raven, herself, had opted for a simpler job in marketing, rather than pursuing something with her psychology degree. So two mid-twenties guys working in food service? Not unheard of, nor was it anything to be ashamed of. She was just surprised. Most guys lied about that sort of thing; at least when concerning her and Kori.

Mostly Kori.

"Well, let us not test that theory," said redhead giggled, before boldly grabbing Richard's hand and tugging him towards the restaurant.

Raven observed the scene with a bemused expression, noting that her friend's date was turning an impressive shade of burgundy. Though, when she realized that she had been momentarily left alone with Garfield, she figured her own berry complexion would give Dick's a run for his money.

"Cute dress," the blond offered with a shrug, before his fingers ghosted over her thigh as he coyly tugged at the hem.

Raven hurriedly slapped his hand away, her attention focused straight ahead as she followed after their roommates. "No," she deadpanned, unsure of what she was disagreeing with, but confident in her decision.

She could see Garfield scramble to catch up to her from the corner of her eye, before his steps fell in sync with hers. "No?" he questioned, his tone playful.

Raven resisted the urge to shoot him a glare - looking at him always seemed to backfire for her. "Don't," she said instead, still not certain of what she was referring to, but not letting her resolve weaken in the slightest.

"Don't... what?"

She could practically _feel_ his grin.

Her eyebrow twitching, she lowered her voice to a whisper as they neared their friends. "Don't _touch_ me, for one," she hissed, before finally giving in and sending him a pointed look.

Like she had suspected, his face was split into a toothy grin.

Snapping her eyes back to the entrance looming ahead, she continued. "Also, don't _flirt_ with me."

But her demand was met with mirth, and she listened as Garfield let out a hearty chuckle.

"Okay, I know you're trying to be _discreet_ or whatever," he began loftily, before quickly jumping ahead to open the door for her (which only caused her eyes to roll - chivalry was dead, after all), "but Dick will totally know something is up if I _don't_ flirt with you."

Despite wanting to argue, Raven bit back her retort when she realized that their roommates were now within earshot. Sending her companion another irritated look, she reluctantly stepped through the doorway.

Her nose was immediately attacked by the smell of garlic, and she couldn't stop a distasteful frown from tugging at her lips as her eyes scanned the restaurant. It was clean - which was usually a good sign. The waitstaff were dressed in maroon button-ups and black slacks, and the customer base ranged from several elderly couples on dates to a slightly rambunctious Little League team. It was family-friendly, for sure; but not family _-oriented_ , seeing how half of the restaurant also doubled as a bar.

Her frown wavered slightly at that.

"Table's this way," came Dick's voice, startling Raven out of her idle observation.

"Ooh, the _bar_ ," Garfield singsonged, giving his friend a teasing look. "How'd you swing _that?_ "

Raven watched as Richard merely rolled his eyes, before locking gazes with her and mouthing the word ' _sorry_ '.

She allowed herself a small smirk - so far, this guy was winning her favor.

"This place is so very quaint!" Kori enthused, the sound of her voice immediately turning her date into a tomato.

Her smirk widening ever so slightly, Raven watched as Richard merely nodded at the model, before awkwardly gesturing towards their table. She made a move to follow after the two of them, again avoiding her 'date's' eye. Garfield was directly beside her as they crossed into the bar, though he thankfully refrained from touching her.

They were seated at a small table, with four chairs surrounding it. Kori was sat at Raven's right, her green eyes wandering around the kitschy restaurant in awe. Dick sat himself next to Kori, which put him directly across from Raven, causing her to roll her eyes fondly at the way he stared at the redhead, also awe-struck. Glancing to her left, she found that Garfield, too, was staring at the model as he sat down.

Though, rather than the usual, lustful gazes Raven was used to seeing men give her roommate, the blond was watching her with a confused expression.

"Is this your first time at a restaurant or something?" he questioned bluntly.

Raven was tempted to kick him under the table, though Richard apparently beat her to it as a slight _thump_ sounded from below.

" _Ow!_ Dude!" Garfield protested, his brows furrowing incredulously as he regarded his roommate. Raven watched as his hand slipped under the table, before sheepishly rubbing at what she assumed to be his shin.

Thankfully, Kori either didn't notice the exchange, or simply chose to ignore it. "Oh, no. I have been to many restaurants," she answered kindly, her eyes absently perusing the menu placed before her. "Or, should I say, _ristorantes_ ," she added, giggling. "Although, I do prefer the simplicity of _trattorias_ , for most of my time in Italy was spent avoiding the paparazzi."

Both men became eerily silent at the former-model's nonchalance, their faces blank. To Kori, she was merely sharing an interesting anecdote. But to the guys? She was reminding them of the fact that they were currently having dinner with a professional model. _Two_ , if you counted Raven's bubblegum ad.

She didn't think it counted, personally - though she was sure Garfield would beg to differ. If he remembered how to speak again, that is.

" _Osterias_ are more my speed," Raven mused blandly, hoping to dispel the sudden awkwardness that fell upon the table. "I never turn down the opportunity to drink."

Her last remark was untrue, but it seemed to finally knock some sense back into their dates.

"Then why didn't you want me to buy you a drink at the bar?" Garfield scoffed, clearly unbothered by alerting his friend to Raven's initial rejection.

Again, she felt her face flush. "Because I didn't want to _encourage_ you," she snapped, before earning a kick of her own as Kori sent her a pointed look.

' _Be kind_ ,' she mouthed sternly.

Raven found herself copying Garfield as she tentatively rubbed her shin, her eyes narrowing at her roommate.

"I told you this was a bad idea," the blond whined, turning his attention towards Richard.

But at that, her head whipped back to her 'date', and for a singular moment, Raven felt bad. She wasn't sure how else to describe it - the feeling was a mixture between pity and regret, with the slightest hint of offense as his words bruised her ego.

But, again, it was only for a moment, for the somber emotion was almost immediately replaced by annoyance when she felt a hand absently brush over her knee.

" _Gar_ ," Richard warned, unaware of the blond's silent gesture as his eyes fleetingly passed over both women.

Raven could see Kori stiffen from her peripheral vision; a sure-fire sign that the girl was getting upset. Though, with the way Garfield's hand tentatively moved up Raven's thigh, she knew that her roommate had no reason to be. The blond was merely putting on a show - making it blatantly obvious that there was nothing going on between the two of them. Nothing at all.

You know, aside from the occasional wandering hand, it seemed.

"Hey, you guys ready to order? I can get drinks started."

All four of them jumped at the sound of their waiter's voice, Garfield's hand retracting from Raven's thigh faster than she thought possible.

Her eyes darting towards the maroon-clad man, Raven felt a tinge of irritation at the casual way he spoke to the group, before remembering that he was their dates' coworker.

"Uh, the usual for me," Garfield answered briskly, his face flushed ever so slightly.

Raven quickly looked away, her eyes skimming over the drink menu as her other two companions put in their order.

"And for you?"

Glancing up, Raven gave the waiter a blank look. "I'll have a Bellini."

Nodding politely, he retreated from the table.

A moment of awkwardness lingered, before Kori delicately cleared her throat. " _Ahem_ , so... Have you ever been to Italy, Richard?" She blinked her pretty green eyes in his direction, causing him to shift his attention towards his menu.

"No, can't say I have," he replied, pretending to read the text he had undoubtedly memorized. "I've been to every state, though. And Canada."

"Oh, how very interesting," Kori replied sweetly, though her smile waned when Richard seemed unwilling to elaborate.

"I've been to Africa," Garfield interjected, a lazy grin spreading over his face as he leaned back in his chair. "Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda... a few others," he trailed off, shrugging.

Raven arched her brow at that - she hadn't expected him to be so well-traveled. It was something they apparently had in common - aside from the places themselves.

"Oh! I have been to Morocco!" Kori supplied excitably, straightening in her seat. "Marrakesh is so very lovely!"

Sensing that her roommate was going to dominate the conversation, Raven elected to kept her travels to herself, and instead spared a glance to the man sat across from her. Richard was staring at the redhead while sporting a small, bewildered smile - as if he were unsure of whether or not she was actually there.

A smile very similar to the one Garfield had worn after spending the night at her place, though Raven decided not to look any deeper into that. Instead, she sneaked a quick peek at the blond, whose brows were furrowed as he listened to Kori talk about the fashion in Morocco.

Despite finding him incredibly irritating, Raven also found him sinfully attractive. His hairdo was a perfect combination of messy and styled, and the blond color could only be described as sun-kissed. His eyebrows were darker, and slightly on the thicker side, though they had a nice, natural shape to them. And although Raven was used to bright green eyes, seeing how she was faced with Kori's everyday, there was something so mesmerizing about the vibrant emerald shade of Garfield's.

He had a nose that other males would pay good money for, and lips that made her want to lean over and capture in a kiss. His only imperfection, facially-speaking (not that his _body_ was imperfect - no, it was _quite_ the opposite), were his teeth. They were an off-white color, and primarily straight - aside from his surprisingly sharp canines, one of which stuck out at an odd angle.

Also, his ears were kinda big, and slightly pointed, though she found them kind of... interesting. Not _cute_ , mind you.

Their waiter returned shortly with their drinks, and Raven hurriedly took a sip from hers - prosecco was the only wine she somewhat enjoyed (aside from the occasional champagne, but only due to the novelty of it), although the peach puree that allowed her drink to be called a Bellini disguised most of the flavor. Not that she was upset, or anything - she actually preferred _not_ being able to taste her alcohol.

Garfield seemed to have ordered some type of gin, while Richard and Kori shared a bottle of red wine. Raven smirked at that - maybe the alcohol would loosen the two of them up a bit.

"Any appetizers?" their waiter mused, his eyes darting between Richard and the redhead curiously.

"Uh, we'd like some bread sticks, probably," Garfield guessed, glancing towards his table mates.

Raven merely shrugged, realizing that she was the only one who had heard him. Richard was too busy pouring a glass of wine for Kori, while simultaneously explaining the proper way to hold the bottle.

"I'll get those right out," the waiter agreed, his casual demeanor throwing Raven off once more. "And I'm guessing you're getting your usual?"

Looking towards Garfield, she watched as he grinned. "Duh," was his eloquent reply.

"I'll have my usual, as well," came Richard's voice as he suddenly reentered the conversation.

The waiter nodded, before shifting his attention towards Kori.

Giggling sheepishly, the redhead quickly attempted to look over her menu, before seemingly giving up as she spared her date a faux-shy glance. "I will have what Richard is having," she decided. "I trust that you have good taste."

She was batting her eyelashes playfully, going into full-on flirt mode. Raven suppressed a sigh - Richard didn't stand a chance.

Feeling the waiter's eyes on her, she absently held up her menu as her sights focused in on her drink. "I'll just have a salad."

Garfield snorted in amusement as their waiter paused, clearly waiting for her to elaborate. But, when it became obvious that she wasn't planning to, he awkwardly cleared his throat as he took her menu. "Um... which one? We have pasta salad, chopped salad, wedge salad - "

"Wedge salad, no cheese, dressing on the side," she answered flatly.

Another moment of silence passed between them (aside from Kori's giggling as Richard nearly knocked his silverware to the floor), before the waiter nodded. "Right, well... I'll get out the bread sticks, right away."

And with that, he retreated back to the safety of the kitchen.

"Thanks, dude!" Garfield called after him, before setting his sights on Raven.

She tried to ignore him as she pointedly sipped on her cocktail. Peach had never been her favorite, but the artificial taste was enough to mask the prosecco.

"A salad?" the blond teased.

Raven watched as Kori tilted her head to the side coyly, smiling at something Richard had said.

"I'm not that hungry," she offered, noting the way her roommate's date shyly slipped off his glasses, before setting them on the table.

"Had a _bite_ during your _lunch?_ "

But at that, her eyes snapped to her 'date'.

He was wearing that same stupid grin that was beginning to haunt her; his dumb, twisted canine seemingly mocking her as it poked out. Narrowing her eyes, she silently dared the blond to push it.

He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

"Maybe," she deadpanned, mentally scolding herself for blushing as her mind replayed their last hookup. She wasn't sure on the logistics of it, but for some reason, fucking on top of her desk had just... _worked_ for her. And she really hadn't meant to bite him, but the way he was pounding into her had been beyond blissful, and she needed to do something to muffle her scream, lest her entire workplace find out about them. It was just _that_ good.

Not that she would ever tell him that.

He continued to look all too pleased with himself as he sipped on his drink, his eyes twinkling mischievously. Again, Raven ignored the sappy side of her that wanted to get lost in those eyes, and instead averted her gaze to their companions.

Richard was less red, despite the way Kori was leaning towards him, her fingers lightly trailing over his bicep. Another giggle escaped her at something he said, though Raven was unable to hear them, seeing how her pulse was hammering in her ears. The blond wasn't being overtly flirty with her, but he was still somehow managing to send her stomach tumbling. And her drink _really_ wasn't helping, nor was it taking the edge off. If anything, it was making her more fidgety. Raven had never been an expert on hookups, but she was fairly certain that she shouldn't have been this nervous. Plus, it wasn't like he had even exposed them or anything - he was just being an idiot. Something she assumed was normal.

"So, what is it you do, Raven?"

The sound of her name slipped past the _thumping_ , causing her to sit up straighter as she came back to reality.

Richard was giving her a small smile, having been the one to include her in the conversation.

"Marketing," she answered plainly, sparing a glance towards the blond beside her. He was pointedly avoiding her gaze while attempting to hide his smirk behind his glass. "I'm an ad-executive at a car dealership."

Richard nodded politely, seemingly satisfied with her answer as he turned his attention back towards Kori.

"What dealership?" a teasing voice inquired.

Resisting the urge to scowl, Raven acknowledged Garfield briefly. "Jump City Motors," she hurriedly offered, hoping to move on.

But at her reply, Richard seemed to perk up. "Really? Do you happen to know a Vic Stone?"

Raven suppressed a sigh - of course he'd know him, too. "Yes."

"Huh, small world!" Garfield grinned knowingly. "Vic's like, one of our best friends. Hey, we should all get together sometime!"

"I don't think - " Raven began to politely refuse, but Kori's voice proved to be louder.

"Oh! Victor is so very kind!" she enthused, having met the man on several occasions. "I would love to do the hanging out with him!"

Raven could feel the vein in her forehead throb as she willed herself to have an aneurysm. She was never the biggest fan of group outings, and making new friends was the last thing she needed. Sure, if Garfield asked her for her number later, she'd probably give it to him - but _not_ so that he could chat her ear off. No, it would strictly be for booty-calls, seeing how she was apparently shit at relationships, if her past attempts were any indication.

Not that she thought Garfield wanted a _relationship_ with her; she wasn't vain enough to assume that. But she _could_ tell that he liked teasing her, and teasing was often a sign of endearment between friends. And she did _not_ want to be his friend. Fuck buddy? Sure. But a _friend_ was not something she was in the market for at the moment.

Luckily, the waiter arrived with their bread sticks before any plans with Victor could be solidified.

"Your food will all be out shortly," he announced, giving them all a quick smile, before retreating once more.

Raven stared at the basket sat in front of her, wishing she were any place else.

* * *

The rest of the dinner had gone surprisingly smooth, seeing how everyone's mouths were too full to converse properly. Sure, Garfield had attempted to chat despite his mouthful of eggplant, but Richard had thankfully nipped it in the bud.

But as the boys walked towards the register to pay and Kori discreetly pulled Raven to the side, she knew that the brief moments of peace were coming to an end.

"I am going to kiss him," the redhead whispered, her excitement apparent in the way she practically shook.

Raven arched her brow, somewhat taken aback. "You haven't kissed him yet?"

Kori shook her head, smiling shyly as her eyes wandered towards her date. "I did not want to rush things," she admitted quietly, before doing that stupid, girly hair-twirl again. "But I am enjoying his company, and I want him to know that. So, I will be kissing him tonight."

The slightest feeling of shame washed over Raven at her friend's confession. Here she was, debating the best way to slip the blond her number so that they could hookup again, and Kori hadn't even _kissed_ Richard yet. When had she become such a harlot?

"But, I will need you to distract Garfield, for I do not wish to embarrass Richard by, how you say, planting one on him in front of everyone," the redhead continued.

Raven suppressed a snort of amusement at her task; distract Garfield? Oh, how the tables had turned. "I can manage that," she deadpanned, shifting her attention towards the blond. He was leaning against the counter, chatting animatedly with the host as Richard signed the receipt. "But you'll owe me."

Kori merely giggled as she playfully knocked her shoulder with Raven's. "I suppose I will," she agreed, before a devious smirk crawled across her lips. "Though, he _is_ very attractive, no?"

Raven mentally congratulated herself when she didn't blush, having expected her roommate's question eventually. "He's cute," she offered dully, knowing that a half-truth was less suspicious than an outright lie. "But he's also the most annoying person I have ever had the displeasure of meeting," she continued, now being entirely truthful. "Therefore, you'll owe me."

Another laugh escaped the redhead, before she linked her arm with Raven's and pulled her towards their dates.

"Oh, this has been a wondrous evening!" Kori began cheerfully, releasing Raven as they approached the two men, and instead linking arms with Richard.

He nodded in reply, a small smile tugging at his lips. "I'm glad you - "

But Kori quickly cut him off. "Shall we go for a walk? I have heard many wonderful things about the boardwalk at this time of night!" Without waiting for an answer, the model practically dragged her date out of the restaurant.

Garfield made a move to follow, but Raven quickly reached out and yanked him back.

"Ow! What the hell?" he asked, obviously clueless as he sent her a glare.

Raven simply returned it. "Kori's gonna kiss him, and she doesn't want an audience," she explained bluntly.

A moment of silence passed between them, before realization dawned on the blond's face. "Oh," he replied, though an incredulous expression immediately took over. "Wait - they haven't kissed yet?"

Raven neglected to answer as she moved past him and through the exit, before heading in the opposite direction of where their roommates had gone. She could hear Garfield clumsily follow after her, though she refrained from looking back.

"How long do you think they're gonna be?" he mused, having successfully caught up to her.

She merely shrugged, unsure of the answer. "The night's still young."

She could see Garfield nod from the corner of her eye. "Huh, I guess..."

Silence settled between them for nearly five whole seconds, before the talkative blond remembered who he was. "So, was tonight as bad as you thought it'd be?" he questioned, his tone playful as he casually slipped his hands into his pockets.

Raven continued to match his steps as she led them towards the parking lot. "The night's still young," she repeated ominously. "I'm sure you'll find a way to ruin it."

He chuckled at that, shaking his head and mussing up his already askew hair. Raven idly wondered if it was okay for her to find that _cute_ , before cursing herself for even entertaining the thought.

"So, uh, what do you wanna do?" he mused, releasing Raven from her inner turmoil.

With her car looming ahead of them, she let out a hushed sigh as she pondered over his question. Half of her wanted to just ditch the blond and head home - Kori could obviously get a ride from Richard, so it wouldn't be like she was abandoning her or anything. But the other half of Raven was admiring the tinted windows on her SUV, and the privacy they would undoubtedly give.

Sparing her companion a glance, and in turn noting the way his flannel fit snugly against his shoulders, she quickly made up her mind.

* * *

Car sex wasn't as easy as the movies made it out to be. It wasn't easy at all, actually. In fact, it was downright difficult, bordering on outright impossible.

"Ow! My hair - "

" _Whoa_ , watch your _knee_ \- "

"You're the one - ugh!"

Pulling her dress back down, Raven shot the blond a disgruntled look as she sat herself beside him. Despite being incredibly flexible, the backseat of her car was proving to be an awful place to hookup, as it left little room to maneuver and offered hardly any comfort.

Garfield returned her glare as he crossed his arms over his chest, choosing to leave his pants undone. "Don't look at me like this is _my_ fault," he snapped, before turning his head and staring out the windshield. " _I'm_ not the one who won't fold down the seats."

Raven huffed in frustration, before mirroring his pose. "They're a pain to readjust," she defended, her usual monotone laced with irritation.

But Garfield seemed unsatisfied with her answer as he scowled. "What's a _pain_ is you _kneeing_ me," he bit back, before his eyes darted back to her. "And when are you ever even _back_ here? What do they need to be adjusted for?"

Raven kept her eyes forward, practically drilling holes in the headrest of the passenger seat. She _really_ didn't want to admit that her reason for leaving the seats as they were was due to her having _no idea_ how to adjust them in the first place. "It's _my_ car, Garfield," she spat instead.

She watched him slump against the seat from the corner of her eye, only half-listening as he let out a groan.

"This is so _lame_ ," he whined, before uncrossing his arms and letting them fall to his sides. "Now _Dick_ is probably getting more action than me!"

But at that, Raven couldn't help but scoff in amusement. "Dick is _maybe_ getting to second base tonight," she pointed out dryly, feeling a small smirk tug at her lips. Kori wasn't necessarily an _angel_ , but she wasn't a fan of moving too fast. It would 'tarnish her image' - or so she had said. Raven wasn't the biggest fan of discussing their sex lives, but from what she had gathered, the redhead had had a few tight-lipped partners over the years.

"Second base with a _model_..." Garfield corrected absently.

Raven tried to ignore the sharp pang of jealousy that stabbed at her stomach, though it proved to be futile as she self-consciously tucked her hair behind her ear. A scowl was firmly etched across her face, and she again berated herself for _caring_.

"But _I've_ actually _slept_ with a model," the blond continued quietly, tearing Raven from her pity-party as she gave him a bewildered look.

"Who, m-me?" she blurted, before mentally slapping herself across the face at how flustered she sounded.

But Garfield didn't seem to notice, and merely nodded.

His observation somehow making her _more_ self-conscious, she attempted to correct him. "I _told_ you, I'm not - "

Still, he seemed distracted as he idly waved her off. "Yeah, he'll _maybe_ get to second base tonight, but... but _I've_ already hit a home-run..." A wicked grin slowly crawled over his features, before he suddenly turned towards Raven, causing her to jump in surprise. "That means _I'm_ coming out on top!"

Raven simply blinked at her companion, finding herself completely, one-hundred percent lost. "You're... You've... _What?_ "

But he just kept grinning. "I've already won," he stated plainly, before nonchalantly shrugging.

Her brows furrowing, Raven _again_ tried to understand. "You've _won?_ " she repeated, incredulous. "What, was this a competition or something? 'Who can sleep with the model first'?" She had half a mind to kick his -

" _Ah ha!_ " he exclaimed, pointing a triumphant finger in her face. "You _admit it!_ "

"Admit what - "

"You're a _model!_ "

Again, Raven could only stare at him, her mouth hanging open as her mind attempted to decipher his sudden excitement. One minute, he's moping about car seats, and the next, he's grinning like a madman while leaning in closer -

She stiffened as he unexpectedly pulled her into a kiss, his tongue taking full advantage of her parted lips. Though, her shock only lasted a moment before she threaded her fingers through his hair, pulling him even closer. Her back hit the door with a muffled _thump_ as he threw his weight onto her, while simultaneously slipping his hand beneath her dress. He had already removed her underwear during their previous attempt, though she still let out a surprised gasp when his fingers tentatively brushed over her core.

He smiled against her lips, allowing her to feel that crooked canine of his as he attempted to kiss in spite of his expression. His fingers were still toying at her entrance, causing her to whine pitifully while shifting herself closer.

But at that, he pulled back slightly, his breathing heavy as he regarded her with a grin. "How about we adjust these seats real quick?" he teased.

Raven could feel the heat of a blush work its way across her face and down her neck; her slight embarrassment only fueling her annoyance. Narrowing her eyes, she roughly pushed him off of her.

He fell back into the middle seat, letting out a surprised chuckle. "Aw, come on! I'm just - "

But she silenced him with another kiss as she climbed onto his lap, straddling him. His hands had instantly gripped onto her hips, his tongue moving with hers as he greedily returned the kiss. He tasted like mint and gin, and she idly wondered when he had gotten a breath-mint, and why he hadn't offered one to her. Though, she hurriedly shook away the thought as she kissed him harder; finding the combination odd, yet somehow addictive.

The same thing could be said to describe their relationship - although, she hated to use that word, even in the privacy of her own mind. But whatever she called it, she couldn't deny how _weird_ their dynamic was. She didn't necessarily like him; he was annoying, abrasive, and seemed unmotivated. _Nice_ , sure. She'd give him that. And he appeared to be able to keep a secret, which she was extremely grateful for. But he _also_ seemed a bit too eager to befriend her, and if it wasn't for the fact that he could fuck her speechless, she probably would have ghosted him by now.

Instead, she continued to kiss him, her teeth nibbling at his bottom lip.

A small part of her wanted to give in and fold down her back seats, but she knew she was too stubborn to let him win. They would find a way to do it like this, or they wouldn't do it at all. Sure, the thought of not being able to finish what they had started was troubling, and she'd hate to end the night unsatisfied. But _god_ , she just could not get into a good position. The ceiling of her SUV was a little too close for comfort, and she wasn't crazy about the way she had to bend her knees -

Although, any complaint she had died in her throat the moment she felt a telltale twitch beneath her. Ever so slowly, she ground her hips against his.

Garfield moaned against her mouth as his fingers dug into her hips, and Raven couldn't help but feel proud of the effect she had on him. Shifting her weight onto her heels, she made quick work of pulling down his pants and boxers, breaking their kiss as she freed his erection.

"Can you try not to knee me this time?" he joked, though his breathlessness caused his taunt to sound more like a plea.

Raven shot him a glare, though she refrained from answering as she lowered herself onto him.

Her position was undeniably awkward as she attempted to get comfortable, yet Garfield seemed unconcerned with her comfort as he let out another moan, before thrusting up into her.

A mixture of surprise, pain, and pleasure shot through her, and she was caught between scowling and sighing as she rocked against him. His hold on her hips tightened as he slammed her down, his breath hitching with every thrust. The top of her head was brushing against the ceiling, and she knew it was only a matter of time before she'd actually hit it. But despite the odd angle and impending headache, she couldn't help but enjoy herself. Her dress was bunched up over her stomach, and Garfield seemed to take advantage of that as he slipped one hand under the fabric and slowly trailed it up her side.

His touch was like fire against her cold skin, and she let out a hiss of pleasure as she dipped her head down to kiss him again. Her fingers gripped his hair tightly as she pulled him closer, electing a pained chuckle against her lips as he clumsily returned the pressure. Though, their position was still causing her discomfort; her neck was craned oddly, a seat buckle was digging into her knee, and she couldn't brace herself properly as she bounced on his lap.

Letting out an exasperated growl, Raven detached her lips from Garfield's, and instead glared at the roof of her car as she popped her neck. All she wanted was to enjoy a quickie before their friends got back - was that really too much to ask?

"I'm gonna..." the blond began, and Raven nearly screamed in frustration, before suddenly finding herself falling backwards, "...move us, h-hold on," he finished, his eyes locking with hers as he shifted himself forward.

Hurriedly averting her gaze, Raven wrapped her arms around his neck; her thighs tightening against his hips as he leaned her onto her center console. Reaching one arm behind her, she braced herself against her dashboard as he continued to plow into her.

"B-better?" he asked huskily. He still had one of his arms wrapped around her, while using his other to brace himself on the passenger seat.

Raven was unable to find the sense to speak as she chewed on her bottom lip, and instead settled for nodding.

He smiled at that, his crooked teeth dazzling in the dim lighting of the parking lot. Again, she had to look away.

The feeling of him inside of her was nothing short of incredible, and she could feel herself getting closer with every thrust. The odd angle was similar to their quickie on her desk; the way his cock slammed in and out of her was raw and hormonal, yet surprisingly enjoyable. And the lack of intimacy was quite the turn-on, if she were to be completely honest. She kinda liked being a dirty little secret - _his_ dirty little secret.

It was... hot. _So_ incredibly hot.

The pressure building, she let out a hushed curse as she reached her other arm behind her to better brace herself, but the sudden _honk_ of a horn caused her to sit upright and wrap her arms around the blond, her eyes wide.

The few cars parked next to them were empty, and they were hidden from the road, though she felt a sinking feeling settle in her stomach at the thought of being exposed.

Yet, she couldn't figure out who had honked at them. Her worried gaze shifting towards Garfield, she opened her mouth to ask his opinion, but was cut off as he let out a hearty chuckle.

"What happened to being _discreet?_ " he teased, before quickly resuming his thrusts as he nuzzled his face into her neck.

Realization dawned on Raven slowly, along with a furious blush. "It was o-obviously an _accident_ ," she bit back shakily, before roughly pushing away his head and tentatively lowering herself once again. Being more mindful of where she placed her hands, Raven ignored his cheeky grin and instead focused on her impending orgasm.

"I think... you wanna... g-get caught," Garfield accused between pants.

Raven could only scowl. "D-don't _talk_ ," she demanded, squeezing her eyes shut as her legs wrapped around him tighter. The pressure was back, and building even quicker as his cock moved in and out of her, hitting and stroking all the right places. She could taste the faintest trace of blood from biting her bottom lip, though the slight pain only amplified her pleasure as her fingers gripped onto her dashboard. His thrusts were becoming wilder; a sign that he, too, was nearing completion, though she held no ill-will as a sense of euphoria began to wash over her.

It was a leg-trembling, toe-curling kind of orgasm - the kind that made Raven mutter curses beneath her breath while her back arched. She could feel Garfield's hold on her tighten, before she was unceremoniously pulled towards him as he captured her lips with his own.

She kissed him lazily, finding that all of her motor functions were temporarily on standby. Though, the way his tongue relentlessly probed her mouth told her that he didn't really mind. He had stopped his thrusting, but remained inside of her as he kissed her harshly.

After a moment, though, he tentatively pulled back, before sending her an embarrassed smile.

"Heh, uh... got any napkins in here?" he mused sheepishly.

* * *

Her eyes closed, Raven greedily inhaled the scent of her tea, letting the earthy aroma relax her. Kori had nonstop-talked about their evening on the way home, her green eyes bright with glee and her face flushed in excitement. Richard was apparently a 'most excellent kisser' - and Raven had been spared none of the details.

But that had been nearly half an hour ago. Now, both girls were home, dressed in their pajamas, and in the process of going to bed. Raven could hear the sink running as her roommate washed off her makeup, happily humming along to the pop-song playing from her phone.

Opening her eyes, Raven glanced towards the bathroom door. Kori's skincare routine took about fifteen minutes, meaning the shorter girl had about thirteen minutes left to check her own phone without looking suspicious.

She had given Garfield her number before Richard and Kori had returned from their walk, though he had yet to text her. Not that she was _wanting_ him to text her right away - no, she had just _expected_ it. He seemed like the type to text a lot, seeing how he was so insufferably talkative and whatnot.

But as she checked her phone for the tenth time since being home, she found no new message waiting for her. Letting out a sigh, Raven mentally scolded herself. Garfield was a _nuisance_ \- there was absolutely _no_ reason to be disappointed that he hadn't texted her yet. She should have been celebrating that fact, in all actuality. Him not texting her was a sign that he understood her terms; she had given him her number so that they could _hookup_ again - not so that he could badger her incessantly with jokes and puns and attempted conversation.

Taking a sip of her tea, Raven felt a small, satisfied smirk tug at her lips. He was respecting her wishes and being a good fuck-buddy. This was exactly what she had wanted.

So, naturally, she completely ignored the jolt of excitement that shot through her when her phone lit up. Snatching the device with her free hand, she hurriedly unlocked it.

 _One New Picture Message_ was displayed in her notifications, having been sent from a number that wasn't yet saved in her phone.

Rereading the words, Raven felt her eyes narrow as she hesitantly opened the conversation, but was only met with confusion as she stared at the picture Garfield had sent.

It was a creep-shot of Richard, who seemed unaware of the camera as he sat on a beanbag chair.

Bewildered, Raven took another sip of her tea while debating if the blond had even meant to send that, before another message came through.

 _Obligatory Dick pic_

She snorted despite herself, effectively spraying tea out of her nose and onto the screen.

* * *

 **Thanks to the five minutes I spent researching Italian words, I am now getting ads in Italian. Technology is incredible.**


End file.
